The Strength Within: Away From Home
by z0r3y0
Summary: Her hands trembled as she strode to the Gryffindor table, glancing back once where her old friend now sat on the opposite end of the Great Hall. Given the choice, Alessia McKinnon would not have joined the House best known for the reckless.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is Year 1, based on JK Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone".

Thank you to QueenDementor and Chiruka for beta-reading the story.

* * *

Unaware of the chaos in the world beyond what they knew, men and women worked in fields, preparing for the autumn harvest. Cars lined driveways, crops grew in vast pastures, animals lingered as they were raised for dairy or for slaughter. Only a few homes could be found dotting the lands before a large forest that provided refuge for more than just ordinary creatures. Hidden in the trees, a cabin lay secluded from the rest of the semi-rural community. At this residence, a young, odd couple had moved in only a few months ago. They did not keep animals like their neighbors nor did they clear the forest for any reason. This couple had a toddler and an infant, both blissfully ignorant of the terrible events that their kind were suffering from.

The children played on the living room floor while Persephone McKinnon paced nervously, looking a bit like a bothered raven. She was a curvy woman - about average height - with olive skin and blue-black long waves, which she often pinned half of to keep strands out of her face. In the age of the Wizarding War, Persephone had earned some worry creases in her forehead. She froze when her younger child, Alessia, began to sob.

"I'm sorry, Mum," Nikos cried. "I don't know wut I did."

"Don't be sorry, dear," Persephone reassured her son. "She's little. She'll cry over lots of stuff that's not worth worrying about."

"Where's Daddy?"

Persephone hesitated for a moment. "I'm sure he'll be home soon, babe."

He had to be. It was his baby girl's first birthday.

Seamus McKinnon chewed on his fingernails as he sat in an armchair of his childhood home. His parents and brother and sister bickered in front of him.

"... He's after us, Mum. You have to stay here!" Marlene shouted.

"I've lived through worse, my dear. I suppose you've forgotten about Grindelwald?" their mother countered.

Seamus sighed. His brother argued with their father. Amongst the chaos, his anxiety went unnoticed.

The Order of the Phoenix had faced many horrors in the last several years. They had lost so many friends and many lost beloved family members during the War. Combing fingers through his sandy blond hair, he thought of his family.

He knew that months ago, he had gotten his wife, Persephone Savalas-King, now a known blood traitor, and his children away from the dangers of the wrath that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named unleashed, but he still worried for them. Having met his wife in the Order, he hoped that she and her mother and step-father would be able to escape the consequences of betraying Pureblood ideals. Seamus knew that his own survival was unlikely so he left as soon as he knew they were well-protected. After all, his family's support of Albus Dumbledore was always well-known. He had missed daughter Alessia's first birthday just yesterday, which he bitterly regretted.

Seamus had wanted to move his family into a home where both wizards and Muggles were known to occupy, but Dumbledore had suggested a town near where Lily Evans Potter grew up. The upside was that the home was secluded in the woods. The downside of this plan was that the Malfoys had a house not too far from there. The Malfoys who were suspected to be Death Eaters.

He exhaled again and shifted in his seat to rise when all the McKinnons froze with stunned expressions. The Wards had shattered like glass.

Marlene, the youngest of her siblings, moved towards the door, her wand readied. A dark figure drifted into the threshold a second later. Earth-shaking screams erupted. Then all was silent.

He never heard his daughter's first words. He would never see her walk nor watch her learn to fly a broom nor be there to see her off to school. She was his little girl. And they'd miss all of the joys of being father and daughter.

Persephone lifted her head after these thoughts flooded her mind. "You're sure?" she asked.

"Yes," Severus Snape, the family's Secret Keeper, replied. "I saw it myself."

Four years ahead of Severus in school, she had been a sort of mentor to him. She begrudged herself for abandoning him when she heard who he was befriending. She looked at the man she considered a brother, still trying not to be furious at him for betraying Lily Evans during their school years - for falling in with the Death Eaters. Persephone had been the one to deliver the news to him about the fate of his childhood friend's son and helped him change course, attempting to forgive him - and herself. Her family was alive because this man had proved himself worthy of trust again. If only she had been able to trust her sister not to give in to torture.

She braced herself against the back of a dining chair, allowing herself only a moment to let the wave of despair overtake her, knowing her children needed her strength.

It seemed only hours ago that Persephone learned of the news, but it was days. The Potters. She couldn't imagine her own children being alone the way Harry was now. Lily had grieved the McKinnons' deaths and Persephone had mourned the Potters in a similar fashion, but only when her children had gone to sleep.

In the weeks passing since the fall of the Dark Lord, she learned that her only sister had been deceiving her for years. Eris Savalas-King was now in Azkaban for cursing their own mother… and for so many other unspeakable things.

Persephone desperately wanted to seek out her old friend, Narcissa Malfoy, who had been a year ahead of her in school, but she was sure that Lucius Malfoy was behind one of those masks. She almost as equally sure that Narcissa would be on Eris's side if the former was true. Just as she was about to shake these thoughts, there was a sharp rap at the door.

"I get it!" Nikos called. He toddled over to the door quickly.

"No, honey-" Persephone tried to stop him, but she was too late. They weren't expecting any guests.

The door swung open, revealing a tall, slender woman clad in black with silver-blonde hair in a neat bun.

"Narcissa..."

"Hello, dear," Narcissa said to the little freckled boy near her knees. "May I speak to you alone, Persephone?"

"I suppose so." She ushered Nikos into the living room to play with his baby sister.

The women stood eye to eye thanks to Persephone's heels when Narcissa took the step down from from the front door. Both seemed uncomfortable, backs rigid and gazes shifted. The silence between them seemed to suck the air out of the room.

"How did you find me?" Persephone inquired finally, overcoming her shock and realizing Narcissa could only be here because the Fidelius Charm cast by the McKinnons had allowed Persephone's old Housemate to cross the Wards.

"Severus," Narcissa replied simply.

"I might kill that man."

The quiet washed over them once more. The women studied each other as if expecting the other to start a duel.

"I didn't know about your sister," Narcissa uttered in a controlled voice.

"I apologize for not readily believing you, Cissy," Persephone responded. "Not with the rumors about-"

"I know."

"Are they true?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here? Severus would never allow you here without good reason. You-Know-Who killed my husband and his family. Surely you know that."

Narcissa dropped her stare and tugged off her gloves without a word.

"Well, at least tell me why you're here," Persephone requested.

"I needed my friend."

"We haven't spoken since our school days, Cissy."

"It's just... No one else knows how difficult it is to be a mother and losing a husband to something so dark," Narcissa hesitated. "And to have a sister in Azkaban."

"Are you telling me you didn't choose that side?" said Persephone incredulously. "You actually _prefer_ me, a _blood traitor_?"

"I'm not alongside _my_ sister, now am I? Work it out for yourself. You always thought yourself to be so very clever." Narcissa sounded irritated.

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Persephone demanded, her voice raised.

"Use Legilimency on me if you so wish." Narcissa's blue eyes narrowed. "I know you know it."

"Fine," Persephone muttered, silently wishing she hadn't learned the art when becoming an Auror. " _Legilimens_."

The images shot before Persephone's eyes. Narcissa clutching her newborn son close to her chest in terror. Lucius ranting and raving about how the Dark Lord would triumph. Narcissa looking at her one-year-old son on his birthday, promising that no harm would come to him. The harsh words of evil and prejudice filling her ears. The one time Narcissa attempted to combat what Lucius said, her words were interrupted by a severe slap to the face.

"He beats you?" Persephone met Narcissa's eyes with pain and concern for her old friend.

"Of course not."

"Obviously he's cursed you to say otherwise," Persephone spat, disgusted by what she'd just seen. Her tone became gentler when meeting Narcissa's stare, "I'm sorry for that. I'm guessing he won't let you leave?"

The pain in Narcissa's eyes grew more intensely. "I'm supposed to be with Severus."

"He knows the truth too? And he trusts you with his secret?" Persephone asked vaguely in case he had not divulged where his loyalties lay.

Narcissa nodded. "He's teaching me Occlumency, but I'm not sure it'll be enough. I need to protect my son."

"Whatever you need, I'm here."

Narcissa nodded again before turning towards the door. Persephone followed, holding it open as the Malfoy matriarch crossed the threshold to leave, watching silently as her friend vanished from sight.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been years since that dreadful night that he heard his father was dead. Having been so young, he didn't understand that "gone" meant dead. Dead and never coming back. When he'd first learned, he kept asking his mother where his father was. Each time, she needed to remind him that his father would not return.

Only now did he truly understand what that meant. At only seven years old, the anxiety often suffocated him to a degree that he just wanted to be alone. He had no friends anyway.

Nikos's days were spent reading books from the Muggle library. Accompanied by his family, his sister would chatter cheerily with their Grandma Lucilla as his mum pushed the frail older woman's wheelchair. His favorite stories were about a princess who always found love with a brave man who rescued her. At night, he'd read these fairytales to Alessia. He wished he could be this brave.

She loved how the wind whipped her honey-gold hair behind her. The normally dark reddish-blonde strands were sun-bleached from the summer. Unlike the Manor, the country house sat in a wide, open field, an orchard lining the borders.

Whoosh! Whoosh! She threw the ball through the hoop.

"Yes!" Alessia shouted triumphantly on her mother's old broomstick. She took a dive towards the ground and somersaulted onto the grass.

"You cheated!"

Despite being about half-a-head shorter than the boy, Alessia always held her own against him. Her oval features and high cheekbones made it seem as if she were two years younger than him instead of two weeks. Running to her accuser, she grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him off the ground.

"What did you just say, Malfoy?" Alessia hissed. When he simply stared at her with soft grey eyes, she let him fall to the ground, scoffing.

"N-nothing," Draco Malfoy said, his white-blond hair mussed from the fall off his broom. He nervously brushed dirt off his pale skin. "I'm sorry, Alessia!"

"That's what I thought." She helped him to his feet.

"You have grass in your hair." The thin boy with pointed facial features reached out to pull the blades from his best friend's hair.

"Stop it, Draco," Alessia snapped, slapping his hand away.

"Wh-where's Nikos?" Draco shuddered, changing the subject. He tugged on the hem of his button-down shirt, still shaken from being confronted.

"At Diagon Alley with my papa," Alessia responded, brushing the grass out of her hair. "He just got his letter from Hogwarts."

"Are you going to miss him?" Draco asked her as they strode back to their broomsticks.

"He's my brother... So, I think so," she said. "It'd be weird not to have him in the next room huddled up with a book."

"Why does he read those Muggle books anyway?"

"I don't know."

Nearby, Lucius Malfoy heard these words. The tall man with sleek silver-blond hair stormed over to his son, his black robes flowing behind him.

"Go home, Miss McKinnon. And do not come back," Lucius commanded.

"But Father-" Draco began.

"Shut it," Mr. Malfoy snapped at his timorous son. Turning back to the young girl with cold grey eyes, "Leave, Miss McKinnon. I will not have blood traitor scum tarnish my family's reputation."

Alessia glanced tearfully from Mr. Malfoy to her friend.

"Come, now, dear," Mrs. Malfoy said behind her. "I'll take you home."

"Narcissa, if you dare do such a thing, you will regret it," Lucius threatened.

"Father, please!" Draco pleaded. Narcissa ushered Alessia towards the house to gather her belongings.

"Shut up, boy. Narcissa, I'm warning you!"

Narcissa whipped around. "She's just a child!"

When Alessia returned home, Persephone was greeted with a tearful daughter and a remorseful Narcissa.

"I'm sorry, Persephone."

Narcissa vanished from sight.

"What happened, dear?" Persephone leaned down to comfort her little girl, tucking loose strands behind her ear.

"I-I don't know!" Alessia sobbed. "Dr-Draco a-and I - w-we were just-"

"Sweetheart, take a breath."

Alessia inhaled sharply. After a long pause, she said, "We were playing on our brooms, kind of like Quidditch. Then Draco called me a cheat, but I don't know what I did."

"That's happened before, so what else did you talk about?"

"Dr-Draco asked about Nikos. And I told him he's getting his things for school."

"Anything else?"

"H-he asked why Nikos reads th-those books."

There it was. Persephone examined her daughter closely, wiping away tears.

"I-I'm not allowed back," Alessia said, more tears flowing down her face.

"I'm sorry, dear. You have other friends you can play with, you know."

"B-but... Draco is my best friend."

"Look, I know you two were close, but to be honest, I was never comfortable with it."

Alessia furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why?"

"His father was a Death Eater," her mother replied bluntly.

"I don't believe you!"

The door flew open. Nikos rushed in, carrying an armful of parcels, his sandy brown hair tousled by the wind. He halted at the scene before him.

"Wh-? What's wrong?" Nikos inquired.

"Draco and I can't be friends anymore!" Alessia cried. She looked at her grandfather, Atticus McLaren, then to her mother who exchanged glances with him, then to her brother. All stood silent. She huffed exasperatedly and ran to her bedroom.

"What was that about?" Nikos asked.

"Leave us for a moment, will you?" Atticus responded.

Nikos gathered his new school supplies and obliged.

Persephone turned to her step-father, a tall but thin man with many wrinkles in his fair skin and greying hair. "Dad-"

"I'm guessing Lucius learned of Nikos's habits," Atticus interrupted.

"Yes, but I have no problems with the results," she replied. "I was always wary about letting her go there to begin with."

"You and Cissy are like sisters. She has always been there to make sure Alessia is safe. She would never-"

"Lucius _claims_ that he was under the Imperius Curse, but I know the truth."

Atticus scratched his chin thoughtfully for a moment.

"I just wish Narcissa could leave that awful man," Persephone said, breaking the silence.

"Perry, you know that the moment your mother left your father, things changed. It could change Narcissa's _life_. She could be estranged from her family like Andromeda. She could lose her son."

"Mother said he was cruel and that's why she left him. People believed her." Persephone paused. "I know it's true that Mother had no control over leaving Eris there with him." She looked disgusted. "But she never went back for her either. She _let_ my sister become who she is! Eris is who she is _because_ of that man! If Mother hadn't…." Persephone trailed off.

"My dear, she has been gone for nearly two years. Your resentment has no place in your life. It has no purpose."

"But things would be different if she hadn't let it happen this way!"

"If that one thing had been different, your entire life may not be the way it became. You may not even have met your husband."

"At least he might not be dead."

After a long pause, Persephone added, "Never call Theron my father."


	3. Chapter 3

She was no longer the nine-year-old girl who cried over the loss of a friendship. Alessia had grown - not so much in height, but more in strength and will. At least that's what everyone kept telling her. Her red-blonde wavy hair was pulled back into a ponytail, lightened by the summer sun, although a few loose strands framed her lightly tanned olive-skinned face. Her brown eyes seemed blank as she gazed from her desk by her bedroom window to a spot on the adjacent wall.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap tap. Alessia looked up. An owl. An owl holding an envelope with a Hogwarts seal. She opened the window and retrieved the letter from the bird. It lingered so she gave it a few affectionate strokes before it took off flying again.

"Dear Ms. McKinnon, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the letter read.

"Yes!" Alessia shouted. She ran to her brother's room. He was sitting in his armchair reading as usual. Alessia seized his hand and pulled him with her.

"What the-" Nikos blurted.

They toppled down the stairs, the girl's shrill giggles echoing through the house. Alessia hopped up excitedly without having winced once. Nikos sat up, groaning, and straightened out his Hufflepuff jumper.

"Papa! Mum!" Alessia called.

Atticus put down _The Daily Prophet_ and peered at her over his glasses. Persephone strode into the dining room, noticed her son on the floor and helped him up.

"Look!" Alessia waved her letter and envelope gleefully.

"Dear, I can't read a thing with you thrashing about," her grandfather said, amused.

She handed them to him. "Ah. I see," he said. "You want a trip to Diagon Alley."

"'Want'?" She said. "More like 'need'."

"Always quick to correct me, aren't you?"

Alessia giggled.

Several weeks had passed since Alessia's trip to Diagon Alley. Her excitement was barely contained at first, but it left her as quick as it came. Her family knew life would be different for her being away from home and going to Hogwarts by herself. When the news had reached her ears, Alessia became greatly upset, causing her to withdraw from the world.

Sitting at the dining table with her family, Alessia nibbled on her lip anxiously, knowing she would face challenges she hadn't foreseen when she got her letter. Making new friends was never her strong suit - all of her relationships had been forged through the connections her mum had. Now she was on her own.

"To tell you the truth," Atticus said. "I always wondered what it would've been like to be at Hogwarts."

"You say that every year, Papa," Alessia said, trying to sound more amused than nervous. "Tell me. What House were you in at Ilvermorny?"

"Horned Serpent."

"I wonder what House I'll be sorted into." Alessia's voice wavered slightly.

"Well, I broke the tradition of Slytherins in the family," Nikos said. "At least on Mum's side."

Silently pushing away other nagging thoughts and feelings, "I wonder if I'll see Draco," Alessia thought out loud. She swore she saw her mother flinch at those words.

"You haven't seen him in years," Persephone said, feigning indifference. "I doubt you'll even recognize him." Even she hadn't seen the Malfoys since that day Alessia returned in tears.

Aboard the train, Alessia let her hair hide her face. She had decided to sit by the window so she could watch the passersby. Her attention floated away soon enough.

"-Harry Potter-"

What? Alessia recalled hearing many stories over the years about The Boy Who Lived.

"Did she just say 'Harry Potter'?" Nikos asked from across from her.

"I think so."

Soon they were joined by a round-faced boy and later, a bushy haired girl with large front teeth who was wearing her Hogwarts uniform already.

"I can't believe I lost him," the boy muttered.

"Lost who?" Alessia asked.

"My toad - Trevor."

"Oh," she mumbled, raising a curious eyebrow. It was a wonder to her why anyone would _want_ to find their toad. "I'm Alessia McKinnon, by the way."

"Sorry," the boy said. "Alicia?"

"It's Ah-leh-see-uh. It's Greek. This is my brother Nikos. It's a bit of a tradition in my family to have Greek names," she said with an annoyed roll of her eyes.

The tall but slightly chubby Hufflepuff glanced up from his book and gave an awkward wave, then immediately returned attention to _The Catcher in the Rye_ , his light brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Isn't that a Muggle book, you're reading?" the brunette, bushy-haired girl asked with an air of what sounded like an attempt at sophistication.

"We grew up in a Muggle town," Alessia explained.

"But... McKinnon." She paused. "I've read that name somewhere. Didn't You-Know-Who - um - murder the McKinnons? Are you related?"

Nikos looked up sharply. He gave the girl a stern look, full of grief. He stood up to leave, taking the book with him.

"I'm sorry," the girl said, looking remorseful. "That was a bit harsh, wasn't it? I- I shouldn't have asked."

"I reckon he remembers the day Mum told us like it was yesterday," Alessia said coldly. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to seem less mean. A friend of hers had mentioned that she always sounded angry when she first met people. "What're your names, by the way?"

"Neville Longbottom," the boy said.

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl replied. "I'm sorry. I've just been trying to learn all I can. My parents are Muggles, so they can't tell me anything about this world. I'll have to apologize to your brother later."

"I forgive you," Alessia said a little dismissively. "So I'm sure he will too."

"I'm going to try to find Trevor," Neville said nervously.

"Let us know if you need any help," Alessia tried to sound kind, but from the look on Neville's face, her tone was perceived as forced - an offer of obligation rather than of compassion.

"Thanks."

The silence between the girls remained. A glint of white-blond hair glided by the compartment door.

"Draco?" Alessia whispered as she stood up to look in the corridor for her old friend. She looked hopefully in the direction she swore she saw him, but no one was in the corridor anymore. Her red-blonde waves bounced as she plopped down and huffed frustratedly.

"Who were you looking for?" Hermione asked.

"Nobody," Alessia snapped.

"Erm... I'm going to go find Neville and help him if that's okay."

"Mm," said Alessia noncommittally.

The rest of the train ride went swiftly. After Alessia had put on her robes, Hermione and Neville returned without the toad.

"I met _Harry Potter_ ," Hermione exclaimed, forgetting that Alessia might still be in a foul mood.

"I don't suppose you asked him about his dead parents as well," Nikos said from the compartment door.

Hermione flushed bright pink.

"Nikos!" Alessia scolded, turning her irritation towards her brother. "Leave her be. She apologized to me as soon as you left."

"I, um, I do apologize," Hermione added nervously, fidgeting with her hands.

"I'll forgive you then," Nikos accepted.

The first-year students were greeted by a giant of a man. A man Alessia assumed was Rubeus Hagrid judging from the letters Nikos had sent starting two years ago. The newcomers followed Hagrid down a steep and narrow path. Alessia recognized the thicket of trees to be the direction in which returning students went.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Alessia heard Hagrid call, "jus' round this bend here."

"Wow," Alessia breathed to herself.

She and the others took in the scene. The path had led to the edge of a great black lake. Atop the high mountain across the water before them was a vast castle whose windows sparkled and towers shone in the night sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called.

A fleet of boats dotted the edge of the water. Alessia followed a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails onto one of them. She didn't bother seeing who followed her. As they glided across the water, she had assumed she would feel excited or joyful or even hopeful. All she could think about was the fear of disappointing her family and failing to do anything worth mentioning to anyone from home. Her stomach were in knots and her lungs ached from the cold night air.

She didn't even remember how she got to the castle door.


	4. Chapter 4

A tall, auburn-haired witch stood before them. She had a stern face, but Alessia identified softness around the witch's eyes.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

They followed Professor McGonagall to an empty room near which the rest of the school could be heard.

As Professor McGonagall explained the Sorting Ceremony, Alessia's eyes wandered. First to Hermione who stood beside her, then to the other faces, then upon the eyes of Draco Malfoy. The pale, slender boy glared at her. Alessia furrowed her brow and swallowed hard then turned her attention to a boy who was trying to flatten his black hair.

"I've read all about spells," Hermione whispered, breaking Alessia's focus. "I wonder which one I'll need."

Alessia ignored her. Nikos had written letters about a Sorting Hat.

"Follow me," Professor McGonagall instructed.

Alessia strode in beside Hermione. All the new students looked most undignified at the sight before them. Candles floated in midair above four tables. The ceiling twinkled with what looked like real stars.

"It's not real, the ceiling," Hermione whispered to Alessia. "It's bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about in _Hogwarts: A History_."

Once the students gathered before the Sorting Hat set on a stool in front of the staff tables, the Hat twitched and began to sing.

The Hat simply explained how it would sort the students into their respective Houses.

The pink-faced girl that Alessia had ridden in the boat with was called first.

Name after name was called and all Alessia could do was feel the tightness in her chest grow.

"Draco Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called.

He strutted forward, looking confident.

Draco was everything and nothing as she remembered him being. He still had his characteristically white-blond hair and striking grey eyes. She was happy that she recognized him and relieved that he looked well. His demeanor had changed drastically - when she had last seen him, he was timid and warm, but the way he carried himself now was cold and arrogant. And Merlin's beard, the way he looked at her before made her feel as if he'd stabbed her in the chest.

The Sorting Hat was practically still hovered in the air above his neatly combed strands when it declared, "Slytherin!"

Alessia chewed on her lip. She knew it was unlikely that she and Draco Malfoy would speak again if she ended up anywhere but Slytherin herself. She pondered this as one other name was called and Sorted. She didn't know where else she could possibly belong to in any case.

"Alessia McKinnon!"

Alessia gulped and stepped forward. As she sat on the stool, she made eye contact with her old friend once more. Malfoy broke the connection to whisper something to his friends. Something that made them all chortle. She felt dread sink in.

The Sorting Hat dropped on Alessia's head.

"Struggling with some things, I see," a small voice whispered in her ear.

Alessia chewed on her bottom lip once again.

"A just defender. Strong-willed, yet cunning _and_ clever. Difficult, yes. You have nothing you have to worry about, dear girl. You will make more friends. It is about what lies within you."

Alessia did not care where she was Sorted at this point. She just wanted the eyes off her.

"Gryffindor!" The Hat declared.

Alessia sighed heavily. The Gryffindors cheered and she managed to force a grin she hoped looked genuine. She sat next to Hermione when she reached the table, feeling uncomfortable.

Moments later, Harry Potter's name was called. Everyone was straining to watch - everyone except Alessia, it seemed.

Alessia waited, her stare at the Slytherin table blocked by many students in robes and then heard the Hat call out, "Gryffindor!"

When Potter reached the table, the Gryffindor Prefect shook hands with him while two boys - twins - began to chant, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Another boy of the name Dean Thomas joined the Gryffindors. Alessia took a break from watching Malfoy and his friends whisper to one another to glance back at who was left. Just a red-haired boy and thin black boy.

"Ronald Weasley!" Professor McGonagall called.

The boy looked as if he was about to vomit. A second later, he was Sorted into Gryffindor and the green tinge in his very freckled face disappeared as he sighed in relief.

After the last boy had been Sorted into Slytherin, Professor Dumbledore, a thin man with long silver hair and beard, made some announcements. Something about a certain corridor being restricted and the Dark Forest being prohibited.

Alessia didn't speak a word for the entire feast. She heard Hermione and the Prefect, Percy Weasley, speaking about various classes they'd be taking. ("-I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration...") Alessia supposed she and Hermione had something in common. Persephone had always been gifted at Potions while Nikos was partial to History of Magic despite its reputation for tedium. Her late father, Seamus, was always adept at Herbology. Alessia wondered what she would excel at and gulped down hard when the visions of inadequacy at all subjects flooded her mind.

The Great Hall echoed with the excited chatter filling its depths. Alessia glanced around and met the black eyes of Professor Severus Snape, with whom she was very familiar. His trademark black hair hung just above his shoulders and his hooked nose was easily recognizable. Professor Snape often visited a few times during the summer months, although not much since Lucilla's death. His eyes were cold. It was then that she realized he was looking at Harry Potter, who sat three seats away from her.

After the feast was over, Percy led them up to Gryffindor Tower. Alessia followed Hermione up to the girls' dormitories where their belongings sat side by side.

"I'm Pavarti. Pavarti Patil," one of the other girls said. "This is Lavender Brown."

A pale girl with a very round face and golden locks waved.

"Merlin's beard! You have the chubbiest cheeks I've ever laid my eyes on!" the blonde girl cried, lunging forward and pinching Alessia's face.

Alessia scowled. "Let go!" she snapped.

Lavender complied immediately, clearly stunned by the demand.

"If you don't _mind_ , I'm going to bed," Alessia snarled.

Alessia snapped the curtains around her bed closed and changed into her pajamas. She plopped down on her bed and pulled the covers over herself. Despite being so exhausted from the chaos around her for the entire day, she had an almost entirely sleepless night.


	5. Chapter 5

Alessia's time was spent silently and she often sought solace in the company of Nikos, who seemed apathetic about the idea of being followed around by his little sister. At least they had each other, right? He'd avoided making many friends over the last two years because the attention on him made him feel suffocated, but he was used to his sister.

On Wednesday nights, Alessia looked at the stars through telescopes ("Telescopes were invented by Muggles, you know," Nikos had informed her). Three times a week, she spent classes in the Herbology greenhouses learning about various plants and fungi from Professor Sprout, a stout and plump little witch. Alessia couldn't comprehend why Nikos loved History of Magic. The subject was taught by a ghost of the name Professor Binns who drawled dully about various names and dates in history.

Hoping that Charms would be a little more interesting, Alessia had attended her first lesson while sitting beside Harry Potter. Tiny Professor Flitwick had gone through roll call, reached Potter's name, and been so shocked that he gave a little squeak and toppled out of sight behind his books.

"Well then," Alessia muttered. "I suppose this is how it's going to be for us attending classes with you?" she turned to raise a bemused eyebrow at Harry.

"I-I don't know why everyone acts like this," Harry replied. "It's a bit annoying, really. Usually I just want to find my classes."

"Mm."

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall gave the class a strict talking-to.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

She waved her wand and changed her desk into a pig and then back again.

The class was 'ooh'ing and 'ah'ing, but then Professor McGonagall said, "You won't learn how to do that for a long time. Please start taking notes of the material I have written on the board for you."

They hadn't been writing for very long when Alessia heard quick footsteps and turned to look. The noise was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley quickly running into the classroom. Alessia glanced up at Professor McGonagall's desk and saw a cat with markings around the eyes that looked like spectacles. "Oh no," Alessia thought, recognizing that the professor must be an Animagus. She saw Hermione shake her head as she had looked back as well. Malfoy's snicker could be heard off to her left.

"Whew. Made it," Ron whispered to Harry. "Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?"

The grey tabby cat leapt from the desk and in a second, Professor McGonagall stood before the boys.

Ron gulped. "That was bloody brilliant," he told her, clearly in awe.

"Oh, thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall responded, peering at the boys over her glasses. "Perhaps it would be more useful if I were to Transfigure Mr. Potter or yourself into a pocketwatch? That way, one of you might be on time."

"We got lost," Harry said.

"Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats?" Professor McGonagall said before striding back to her desk.

After several more minutes of copying down complicated notes, Professor McGonagall handed out matches to each of the students and they were instructed to turn it into a needle.

Alessia held the match between her index finger and thumb. She rolled it and examined it closely. Alessia tilted her head, blonde strands falling off her shoulder as she did, listening to her classmates uttering incantations.

She squinted her eyes at the tiny bit of wood before her. Hermione gasped and Alessia glanced over. The match looked silver. Alessia sighed and concentrated hard, imagining a sewing needle. She waved her wand made of larch wood and unicorn hair then uttered the incantation. Almost immediately, the match appeared to be pointy. Alessia tried again and the match was no more. Before her, a needle.

Alessia gaped at the silver item on her desk, refusing to believe she had changed it so easily. She thanked Merlin when no one but Professor McGonagall noticed.

"Do you mind if I show the class?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Alessia cleared her throat nervously. "Please don't. I-I don't like the attention."

"Okay, dear. I'll see if any other students don't mind."

"Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall patted her back.

By the end of class, Hermione was the only other student to make changes to her match. Professor McGonagall showed the class how it went silvery and pointy and then smiled, looking at Alessia with knowing eyes.

Despite the hope of having Defense Against the Dark Arts be as enlightening and fascinating as she had expected, Alessia found it almost annoying. A classmate who shared the same name as her father had asked Professor Quirrell about how he had defeated a zombie.

"N-never mind th-that, M-Mr. Fi-Finnigan," Professor Quirrell stuttered. "Th-the w-weather is m-much more i-interesting th-than that st-story."

By Friday, Alessia was irritable. The classes she had so looked forward to fell short of her expectations. She looked at her schedule. Double Potions with the Slytherins. At least she knew Professor Snape. Perhaps he'd be willing to have tea with her over the weekend.

Professor Snape began the class located in the dungeons with roll call. However, his reaction to Alessia's name was indifference. She frowned. She thought after all these years he'd acknowledge her with a nod like he did with Draco. When he reached Harry's name, he paused.

"Ah, yes," Snape said, just above a whisper. "Harry Potter. Our new... _celebrity_."

Alessia turned to look at the sound of Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggering behind their hands. Professor Snape finished calling names.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he said. "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class."

He paused. Alessia looked intensely at Professor Snape as he made eye contact with her.

"However," he continued. "For those select few..." Snape looked pointedly at Draco Malfoy, which surprised Alessia. "Who possess the predisposition... I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."

Alessia looked back at Draco and watched his eyes widen slightly at the proposition.

The silence was thick around them. Alessia glanced at the other Gryffindors. Harry and Ron exchanged looks while Hermione was perched on the edge of her seat.

"Potter!" Professor Snape said suddenly, startling many students. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry and Ron traded clueless glances when Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Professor Snape inquired calmly.

Hermione shot her hand into the air once more. "Bezoar," Alessia recalled. Her mum had mentioned this once. "Was it a stomach of a goat?" She timidly raised her hand. Malfoy snickered behind her. Alessia was unsure if it was at her or at something else. She hoped it was the latter.

"I don't know, sir," Harry repeated.

"And what is the difference between monkswood and wolfbane?" Professor Snape pressed.

Hermione raised her hand even higher, looking most anxious to answer. Alessia put her hand down.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, sir," he said once more.

"Pity," Professor Snape whispered just loud enough for the class to hear. "Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it Mr. Potter?"

Alessia heard Malfoy and the other Slytherins chuckling to themselves. "What could Professor Snape have against Harry Potter?" she found herself wondering. She was beginning to reconsider asking her old family friend about having tea.

"Clearly, Hermione knows," Harry responded, obviously bothered by the treatment. "Seems a _pity_ not to ask her."

Several Gryffindors laughed.

"Silence!" Professor Snape commanded. He glided over to Harry and on the way said, "Put down your hand, you silly girl," to Hermione who didn't need to be told twice. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful, it is known as the Draught of the Living Dead. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkswood and wolfbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite."

Professor Snape paused. He seemed to realize that all the eyes had fallen upon them. "Well? Why aren't all of you copying this down?"

The class immediately did as they were asked. Professor Snape returned to his lectern.

"And Gryffindors," Professor Snape announced. "Note that a point will be taken from your House for your classmate's cheek."

The class did not go well for the Gryffindors. Professor Snape seemed to completely ignore Alessia while he praised the way Malfoy stewed his horned slugs. Alessia grumbled. She was doing better than that, but Professor Snape had been too busy criticizing everyone else.

Clouds of green smoke filled the room. The source was Seamus Finnigan's cauldron. Neville Longbottom had somehow managed to melt it. Now their potion was seeping onto the floor as Neville began to cry in pain.

Alessia knew if she left her attention away from her own potion, similar effects could occur to her. As she split her focus from the chaos, she heard Professor Snape speak cruel words to Neville and then accuse Harry of letting their classmate make a mistake so he could look better.

"-Another point you've lost for Gryffindor," Alessia heard Professor Snape say.

"Bloody hell, Potter," Alessia thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Alessia decided to avoid drawing attention to herself and continued to spend time with Nikos. She wrote to her mother and grandfather about how Professor Snape had treated Harry Potter and how her brother didn't talk much, but at least no one bothered them in their sequestered corner while they studied. After a long day of classes and studying in the library, Alessia stepped into the Gryffindor common room to see many of the first-years chattering and grumbling.

Alessia spotted Harry and Ron. Ignoring the churning of her stomach, she approached them.

"Typical," Harry was saying. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

Alessia spotted the notice. Thursday, they were starting flying lessons alongside the Slytherins.

"You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself," Ron reassured him. "Anyway, I know Malfoy is always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Alessia reached them when Ron said Malfoy's name. "If he's anything like how he was a couple years ago, it is."

Ron looked stunned. "What?"

"We used to play together," Alessia explained. "At least before his dad heard about my brother Nikos and his Muggle books."

"What was that like?" Ron asked eagerly, probably hoping to hear something to use against Malfoy.

"He wasn't so bad. Draco used to be my best friend."

Ron scoffed. "I don't know if we should be around anyone who used to be best friends with _Malfoy_ , Harry."

Alessia glared hard at the back of Ron's head as he and Harry walked away from her.

With all the talk of Quidditch, Alessia stayed quiet, knowing that the stories she heard were farfetched. The closest call she'd had herself was with a hawk and that was only because it thought the Golden Snitch she had was an egg.

The morning of their first flying lesson, Seamus was waving his wand determinedly at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into rum," he recited. He paused to look and shook his head then began to repeat it.

"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Harry asked Ron.

"Turn it to rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before-"

An explosion interrupted Ron's reply and the other Gryffindors laughed at Seamus who was now covered in soot.

Hermione had been lecturing the first-years on the materials found in _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and jumped at the sound and waved the smoke away with her hand.

Everyone seemed pleased, including Alessia who had been trying to ignore her, that she stopped talking.

"Ah! Mail's here!" Ron announced.

The various owls began dropping mail into students' hands.

"Look at him gloating," Harry said. "He must've noticed I don't get anything."

Alessia looked up and across the Great Hall where Harry had been nodding towards. Malfoy was indeed gloating. A smirk slid onto his face when Alessia made eye contact. Tired of his behavior by now, she rolled her eyes.

Neville was telling the table about his Remembrall when Malfoy walked up and snatched it out of his hands.

Harry, Ron, and Alessia jumped up. The boys clearly just wanted a reason to fight. Alessia on the other hand, simply wanted to face her old friend, forcing some acknowledgement of her from him. "Give it back, Draco," she ordered, her face hard with sincerity.

Professor McGonagall was there in the next second. "What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Neville said.

Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said before slinking away with Crabbe and Goyle on his heels.

When the Gryffindors and Slytherins arrived at flying lessons, there were many old broomsticks whose charms had worn and were only good for teaching beginners.

Madam Hooch had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like the hawk Alessia had upset last summer.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Stand on the left side of your broom."

The students followed her orders.

"Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom slapped his palm at the same time Alessia's did.

"Wow," he uttered.

Hermione gave Harry a look of disbelief while oblivious that Alessia had accomplished the same. Across from them and a way's over, Malfoy nodded at his broom and commanded it, "up" and it flew into his hand.

Finally, when everyone had their brooms, Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end. She had Alessia demonstrate how she did it. The girl's face flushed red with everyone's eyes on her, but obliged.

"Good job, girl," Madam Hooch said, ushering her back to her spot.

Harry and Ron looked as if they were going to jump out of their skin with delight when they heard Madam Hooch telling Draco he'd been mounting his broom wrong for years. Alessia hid her knowing grin behind a curtain of hair. If only he'd listened to her years ago.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off the ground - hard. Keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle - 3, 2-"

Neville was soon in the air before everyone else and despite Madam Hooch's shouting, continued to shoot into the air. The students watched as he had no control and cried for help. In the next second, he slipped sideways off the broom-

THUD - and a crack. Alessia grimaced as did others.

"Everyone out of the way!" Madam Hooch ordered.

A gap formed for her. She ran over to Neville who was facedown in a heap on the grass.

Neville groaned in pain as she said, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, dear, it's a broken wrist."

Alessia saw Malfoy bend down to pick something up that glinted in the afternoon sun.

"Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the Hospital Wing. Understand?" Madam Hooch said. "If I see a single broom in the air, the person riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say 'Quidditch'."

Neville and Madam Hooch departed. Malfoy tossed the Remembrall in his hand while smirking.

"Did you see his face?" Malfoy sneered. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse."

"Give it to me, Draco," Alessia hissed.

"No," Malfoy spat. "You can't tell me what to do, McKinnon."

Alessia tilted her head up, reddish-blonde strands blown behind her by the wind. "I just did."

"Give it _here_ , Malfoy," Harry demanded, stepping forward.

It was too late. Malfoy had mounted his broom and taken off into the air. Alessia noted how much he had improved. But so had she.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," Malfoy sneered. "How about on the roof?"

Alessia and Harry glowered at the boy in the air taunting them.

"Come and get it?"

Malfoy had barely finished his sentence before Alessia zoomed at him. His eyes widened in shock and barely dodging her.

"Bit beyond your reach, Potter?" Malfoy goaded.

Hermione stepped forward. "Harry, _no_ way! It's bad enough McKinnon's up there. You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you don't even know how to fly."

Harry ignored her and joined Alessia and Malfoy in the air, having impeccable control of his broom. Alessia's eyes widened in surprise.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry called determinedly. "Or I'll knock you off that broom! There's no Crabbe and Goyle up here to save you."

Alessia watched a shift in Draco's demeanor - he was showing trepidation and contempt at Harry's remark. He raised his arm, Remembrall in hand. Before Malfoy could throw it, Alessia zoomed at him again, seizing it out of his hand. When Malfoy noticed, she dodged him.

"Potter! Catch!" Alessia shouted as she threw the Remembrall clear out of Malfoy's reach. She avoided him again as he tried to knock her off the broom.

Alessia watched Harry as he accelerated towards the glass ball, extended his arm out, caught the ball and flipped just before a window.

Harry and Alessia joined their classmates on the ground as Malfoy touched down nearby. They were getting praise just as a voice drowned them out.

"Potter! McKinnon!"

Professor McGonagall was walking towards them hastily. The Gryffindors quickly came to their defenses.

"Quiet. You two, follow me," Professor McGonagall ordered.

Alessia had seen the light in Professor McGonagall's eyes when she told them to follow her. Still, the young witch was struck by thoughts of being expelled or having her mother notified that she had been insubordinate or somewhere in between. Alessia glanced at Harry who seemed to have similar thoughts. He looked miserable while she felt sick. They came to a halt outside of a classroom.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick," Professor McGonagall said, poking her head inside. "May I borrow Wood for a moment?"

" _Oliver_ Wood?" Alessia breathed.

Harry looked most relieved while Oliver Wood, a burly fifth-year boy, appeared to be confused.

"Potter, McKinnon, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I have found you a Seeker!" Professor McGonagall said, enthused.

"Are you serious, Professor?" Wood inquired.

"Yes, he caught that thing in his hand in midair without crashing into my office window after Miss McKinnon here threw it a good two hundred feet or so."

"That explains how she saw us," Alessia thought. She looked at Oliver Wood who seemed impressed.

"Sorry, Professor," Alessia said. "But what about me?"

"You have the skills to be a great Chaser, dear."

"But, Professor," Wood said. "Our team would be full with Potter as Seeker."

"Alessia, you can be on reserve," Professor McGonagall informed. "As I understand it, Alicia Spinnet will be leaving after this year."

"It's settled then," Wood replied. "I'd still like to see you fly," he added, patting Alessia on the back.

Wood and Professor McGonagall began discussing broomsticks for Harry. Alessia felt something between shocked, amused, and jealous. She wouldn't be able to play for sure until next year, but at least she knew she had a spot on the team.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about now?" Harry leaned in to whisper.

Alessia chuckled. She playfully nudged his shoulder.

"C'mon. I'll try to explain."


	7. Chapter 7

After Wood and Professor McGonagall finished talking about broomsticks, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain had caught up with Alessia and Harry to tell them to keep Harry's position on the team a secret and to give them both training schedules.

"You're _joking_."

Alessia sat next to Harry as he finished telling Ron, who sat across from them, about when they left with Professor McGonagall. Ron looked from Alessia to Harry and back again as if he expected them to tell him they were pulling a prank. He had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he seemed to have forgotten all about it.

" _Seeker_?" Ron said. "But first-years _never_ make the House teams!"

"According to Professor McGonagall, he's the youngest player in a century," Alessia said before taking a bite of chicken.

Ron simply gaped at them.

"If I actually play at all this year, he's still got that title by about a month," Alessia added. "My birthday is June 20th," she clarified when Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't your birthday July 31st?" He nodded, though he had seemed to have forgotten for a moment about his fame.

"Anyway," Harry said after having shoveled pie into his mouth. "We start training next week."

Ron still looked amazed.

"Did you forget about your food?" Alessia asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing at his fork.

"What?" Ron said.

"Oh! And don't tell anybody," Harry quickly added, his glasses glinting a little when he flicked his head up to look at Ron. "Wood wants to keep it a secret."

The red-haired twins who chanted "We got Potter!" at the Welcome Feast approached after spotting Harry.

"Here come Fred and George," Ron said.

"Well done," said Fred in a low voice to them. "Wood just told us."

"Fred and George are on the team too - Beaters," Ron informed Harry and Alessia.

"We're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," Fred continued. "You must be good, Harry. Wood was practically skipping when he told us."

"Can't wait to see you play too," George added, addressing Alessia, oblivious to the sudden redness in her cheeks as he locked eyes with her. "Wood said you'll be on reserve."

"Anyway," Fred said. "We've got to go. Lee Jordan thinks he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy we found in our first week. See you!"

Fred and George had just left when Malfoy appeared, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

Malfoy faced Harry alone. "Having a last meal, Potter?" he mocked. "When are you getting on the train back to the Muggles?"

Alessia's eyes darted between Harry and Malfoy. Draco had never been a bully when they'd been friends. "What changed in the past two years?" Alessia found herself wondering.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry said coolly.

Alessia snorted, feeling something warm and metallic trickle in her nose. "There's nothing _little_ about them, Potter."

Malfoy ignored her. "I'd take you anytime on my own," he said, cracking his knuckles and scowling. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact."

Harry matched Draco's glare.

"What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

Alessia scoffed, pulling a handkerchief from her robes to press to her nose. " _Boys_ ," she muttered to herself before departing. She passed Hermione as she left.

"See you later, Granger."

"See you," Hermione replied before approaching the boys.

Alessia returned to the common room and back to her dormitory to retrieve her books. She left to meet Nikos in the library to study. For whatever reason, he wasn't there.

Shrugging, Alessia sat down and started on her homework. Nikos never showed up. Having taken refuge in a secluded and often forgotten corner, she was fast asleep with no one to come wake her.

Her dreams were filled with old memories of her former best friend. Alessia and Draco sat across from each other while playing Wizard's Chess. He grinned triumphantly when he cornered her king. The scene changed and they were racing each other in the orchard at the Malfoy country house. In the next second, they were chasing each other on brooms and laughing gleefully. Memory after memory flooded her mind.

Alessia's dreams turned dreadful when she was face-to-face with Draco. It wasn't a memory. He sneered while she felt weak. She looked down and saw blood seeping from deep wounds. Her arms were bound and she couldn't move. She begged him for help and he just laughed cruelly.

Alessia woke with a start.

"Bloody hell," she murmured. She checked her watch for the time. "Oh no!" she groaned. It was nearly midnight. If she got caught out of bed at this hour even with the excuse of having been in the library, she was sure to see a few days of detention.

She strode back to the Gryffindor Tower as quickly and quietly as she could. Alessia was about halfway there when she realized she wasn't alone in the dark.

"Shoot," she thought. "This is it. It's Filch, isn't it?"

It was, indeed, the Hogwarts caretaker. Without thinking, she slipped into the nearest room. She sighed with relief when the door handle turned.

It was the trophy room. The crystal cases glimmered where the moonlight hit. Cups, shields, plates, and statues sparkled in the darkness. One plaque caught her eye.

It was for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

One name was familiar. R.J.H. King.

"King. As in Savalas-King?" Alessia breathed to herself. She made a mental note to ask her mum about it.

The name next to it was James Potter. Harry's dad. "I wonder-"

Her thought was interrupted by more noise. It was quiet, but it had disrupted her enough to startle her.

She slipped out the opposite door. Unable to see, she settled for hiding behind a suit of armor.

Some footsteps neared her. She peered around the suit of armor. Alessia spotted Neville Longbottom. And he wasn't alone.

"Longbottom?" she whispered.

He let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run - he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into the suit of armor that kept Alessia hidden.

The crashing was loud enough to wake the entire castle.

"RUN!" a familiar voice shouted.

Alessia didn't bother hesitating and sprinted down the gallery, unsure of who else was with her. Squinting ahead of her, she recognized Harry by his dark, unruly hair and the glasses that glinted faintly in the shadows.

They finally ripped through a tapestry, hurtled along it, and came out near their Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the wall and wiping his forehead.

Alessia's eyes darted around as she rested against a desk with her bag slung over her back. Neville was bent over, sputtering. Ron was gasping for air. To Alessia's surprise, Hermione was with them.

"I - _told_ \- you," Hermione gasped, clutching a stitch in her chest. "I - told - you."

"What - the - hell?" Alessia gasped.

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," Ron said. "As quickly as possible."

"Well," Alessia said after catching her breath. "I was nearly there, but not anymore thanks to you all."

"Maybe if you hadn't scared the bloody hell out of Neville that would still be the case," Ron snarled back.

"What were you doing out so late anyway?" Harry asked in a calm voice, ignoring Ron's animosity.

"I fell asleep in the library," replied Alessia. "Usually I meet my brother there after dinner, but he never showed up." She paused. "What're you all doing out?"

"I was supposed to meet Malfoy for a duel."

"How'd that go for you?" Alessia asked dryly, unamused. "Did you need to bring an audience?"

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione interjected. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room. Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Let's just go," Alessia said, irritated.

They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. The poltergeist that all of Hogwarts had come to know and loathe. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."

Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," Peeves said, feigning honorable intentions as his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," Ron snapped, taking a swipe at Peeves.

"No!" Alessia caught his arm, but it was too late.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

The five Gryffindors ducked under Peeves and ran for their lives, right into the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron groaned. "We're done for!"

Footsteps echoed around the walls. Filch was running as fast as he could towards Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snapped. " _Alohomora!_ "

The lock clicked and the door swung open. They piled in and shut it quickly. The others pressed their ears against it to listen for Filch.

Neville tugged on Harry's bathrobe while they did so. Alessia gulped. She stared at the sight before them.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get _off_ , Neville!"

Alessia pulled his other sleeve towards her.

" _What?_ "

Harry turned around. He looked in the corridor that Alessia had been staring at. The forbidden corridor on the third floor.

The beast stirred, clearly surprised at their sudden appearance. It was a giant dog with three heads that filled the space from ceiling to floor. The three pairs of mad eyes rolled; three noses twitched and quivered; its three drooling mouths had saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

The next thing they knew, they toppled backwards and Harry slammed the door shut. They ran and ran, walls blurred as they sped from the monster. It seemed Filch had moved his search elsewhere. Soon they scrambled into the common room and collapsed into armchairs.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron said finally.

Neville looked as if he'd never utter another word. Hermione seemed to have gotten her breath back as well as her bad temper.

"You don't use your eyes, do you?" she asked incredulously. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested.

"I wasn't looking at its feet!" Ron declared. "I was too busy with its heads!"

Alessia was still panting from the near certain death. She swung her backpack onto the floor by her feet as the others spoke. "It was standing on a trapdoor," she said. "It's probably guarding something."

"That's _right_!" Hermione said, standing up and glaring at the boys. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. Now, if you don't mind, _I'm_ going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed - or worse, _expelled_."

Ron stared after her, his mouth agape. "She _needs_ to sort out her priorities."


	8. Chapter 8

Seeking solitude after facing that monstrous creature, Alessia simply sat alone in the Great Hall with various schoolbooks before her to avoid being spoken to. The mail arrived and her mother's white-faced owl dropped a letter on her open pages. She tore the envelope open to read:

 _Alessia,_

 _Papa and_ _I are doing well and the sudden quiet is rather eerie with you both away from home._

 _R.J.H. King is a distant cousin - I believe his daughter, Johanna, will be attending Hogwarts next year. We share a relative named Jo King, who was in Slytherin. How she was related to your Grandma Lucilla escapes my memory._

 _Hope your classes are going well. Please let Severus know we send him our love. Make us proud!_

 _Love, Mum_

"Send _Severus_ love?" Alessia muttered to herself. "Is she bloody insane?"

She folded up the note and shoved it in her bag hastily.

Considering her mother sent her a letter every week, she had gotten tired of trying to reply to every single one of them. This particular one was filled with more information than necessary. All Alessia wanted to know was if they were related. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed.

Grumbling, Alessia returned to her books and began reading about the Hover Charm that they were learning the basics of this week. Unaware that she was no longer alone, Alessia jumped when the lanky Weasley twins spoke.

"Hey, McKinnon," one of the twins said.

"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed.

"That's not very appropriate for a lady," the other twin teased.

Alessia sighed. "First of all, don't bring up that kind of sexist stuff to _me_ ," she said, examining them both. "Second of all, I can't tell the difference between you two."

"No one can," said the first twin.

"Not even our mum," the other added.

The girl rolled her eyes, feeling something between annoyed and amused. "Since I know you two like to joke around, be honest with me for one moment," Alessia requested and the twins exchanged glances then nodded. "Okay. Tell me your names."

"I'm Fred," the first twin said.

"And I'm George," the other continued.

Alessia studied their features and her eyes darted between them. Fred's grin began to widen as the silence lengthened. George simply kept his gaze on the girl across the table from them.

"I think I can tell the difference," she said finally.

"Okay," Fred said. "Try us."

Alessia met George's gaze and he gave her a small, soft smile. "Your face is more oval-shaped than Fred's. And you have two moles on your neck. The tip of your nose is rounder than his too. Your lips have more of a curve."

"Looking at his lips, are you?" Fred laughed.

"Only for scientific purposes," Alessia murmured, looking down at her books to hide her embarrassment behind long hair.

George chuckled softly. "Anyway, we're supposed to tell you that we have Quidditch practice three nights a week, but our beloved Captain said you can show up once a week instead if you like."

"Knowing him, he'd want you there all the time," said Fred.

"I think I can manage three nights a week," Alessia said, meeting Fred's eyes. "I don't sleep much as it is."

"You'll be begging for sleep after the training Wood puts us through." Fred stood up.

George glanced up and followed suit. "We'll see you Wednesday night then," he said before departing.

"McKinnon!" a stern voice called.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall?" Alessia stopped to address her. Transfiguration had just ended.

"As you I'm sure you know, Mr. Potter received a broomstick this morning to begin training."

Alessia nodded. Malfoy couldn't shut up about it.

"I think that it's only fair that you also received a broomstick."

"But Professor," the young witch said. "I'm only on reserve."

"Regardless," Professor McGonagall tutted. "I ordered two, but this one just arrived before classes had begun." She strolled over to her desk to retrieve the package hidden behind it.

The large parcel was long and thin. "I don't suppose you can Transfigure that into something smaller?" Alessia asked, attempting to hide her bewilderment.

Alessia had been given a note so she could return to the dormitories during the first part of Potions class as to avoid the many eyes that would be drawn in by the large package. The girl hurried throughout the corridors and hoped that she would be alone when she reached the Gryffindor Tower. To her relief, only a few seventh-year students occupied the common room. They seemed uninterested in the young witch and her parcel and more concerned with their N.E.W.T. exam preparations.

When Alessia reached her room, she quickly unwrapped the broomstick. The sleek and shiny mahogany handle was the first thing she noticed.

"Wow," she breathed. It had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. Alessia made a mental note to thank whoever was responsible for her receival of such a marvel.

When she reached the dungeons, Alessia had missed almost half of the class. If she at all dreaded Potions, she might be thankful. Instead, she was hoping she could catch up with whatever was being done.

She quietly opened the door and peered through the haze for Professor Snape. The students were already working on potions in pairs. Expecting to be cruelly lectured about being late, Alessia took a deep breath and walked up to the Potions Master with McGonagall's note in hand.

Professor Snape's black eyes met the young witch's brown ones that showed some fear and even feelings of intimidation. "Where have you been?" the Potions professor asked quietly but sternly.

"I have a note from Professor McGonagall," Alessia croaked, handing him the parchment.

He quickly read the note of her excusal. "All right," Professor Snape replied. "We're practicing making the potions we went over last week. If you want to, you can take notes of what I have on the board, but knowing you, you won't need to."

His voice was kinder than Alessia had anticipated. Her eyes darted to the board. She had taken notes last night about the same elements.

"I think I read that last night, Professor," she said quietly, still intimidated and expecting him to shout at any moment.

"The students are in pairs and I know you usually work alone, but you'll be too far behind to catch up," Professor Snape notified, still using an unusually kind voice. "Join Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Finnigan and make sure they don't end up in the Hospital Wing again."

"Yes, Professor."

Alessia turned to join her classmates. She paused and faced the Slytherin Head of House again. "My mum sent me a letter this morning," she mumbled. "She - um -"

"Yes?"

"She said to send you her love," Alessia muttered, hoping her professor didn't hear.

"She's insane, that woman is," Professor Snape almost snorted. "Go on and join your classmates."

"Yes, Professor," repeated Alessia before departing, feeling bemused.

The rest of the class went smoothly. Professor Snape only muttered angrily at Harry a few times and gave Alessia just as many subtle nods of approval. Neville and Seamus both avoided mishaps and explosions with her help. She had even managed to help them correct their mistakes. Comparing her own new copy of the textbook with her mum's old book, she read the notes in the margins of the old text that always provided remedies to mistakes if they could be fixed.

At dinner, Alessia mulled over her books once more and ate lightly. The food was delicious like always, but she couldn't handle more than half a serving of it today. She checked her watch. It was about the time she usually met Nikos in the library. She had asked her brother about why he hadn't shown up that night that she faced the three-headed dog. He had mumbled something about Slytherins and fire and trousers and Muggles and the Hospital Wing in response. It wasn't much of an answer, but Alessia decided not to press the issue.

She gathered her books and began to walk out of the Great Hall and into the corridor.

"McKinnon!" a gruff but desperate voice shouted.

Alessia glanced around quickly. Her brother was nowhere to be seen, so she spun around to face the person that she assumed was trying to get _her_ attention.

"Ah!" Wood gasped. "Caught you."

"Pardon?" Alessia said, confused.

"I know you know how to play Quidditch, but I'm teaching Potter the basics tonight."

"Okay…?"

"I would like to see you fly a bit," the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain clarified.

"Oh."

"Mind coming with?"

Alessia pondered this request for a moment as Oliver Wood fidgeted. She was actually ahead in the readings for her classes, but did like keeping it that way. The urgentness in Wood's demeanor made her decide.

"Okay," she said finally, watching relief and gratitude wash over the fifth-year.

Oliver Wood gestured for her to follow and soon they were running. Unable to keep up, Alessia began to fall behind. Wood noticed this and snatched several books from her arms and continued to jog through the lingering students in the halls. When they reached the common room, he handed the books back.

"Go on and change," Wood said. "I'll wait for you. Bring your broomstick."

"No," Alessia replied sarcastically. "I was planning on trying to fly by flapping my arms frantically."

"You cheeky…."

Alessia walked up to her dormitory, grinning a little.

She dumped her books and bag onto her bed then quickly drew the curtains around her for some privacy. Alessia ripped out an olive green t-shirt and black trousers from a drawer. She slipped off her uniform and kicked her trainers off. She pulled the t-shirt over her head and put on the trousers. She tucked the legs of her pants into some dragonhide boots and laced them up. Knowing it was a bit brisk outside, she snatched a grey sweatshirt before grabbing her broom from under her bed.

As he promised, Oliver Wood was waiting for her, but with a crate at his feet. He had changed into a black turtleneck.

"Help me with this, will you?" he said, reaching down for one of the handles.

"Sure."

Alessia pulled on the sweatshirt and zipped it up halfway. She swung the Nimbus Two Thousand under her arm. They walked down to the Quidditch pitch and on the way, she had to settle for holding the broomstick in her hand.

The stadium had hundreds of seats that were raised around the field. The stands were covered in colorful tapestries of the Hogwarts Houses. At either side, there were three golden hoops that were higher than any Alessia had ever dealt with before. At one end, a familiar black-haired boy was swooping in and out of the goalposts. Unaware that he wasn't alone, Harry sped up and down the field.

"Hey, Potter, come down!" Wood shouted.

Alessia and Oliver Wood set the crate down. Harry landed next to them.

"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural."

"How's it feel?" Alessia said, nodding at the duplicate broomstick Harry held.

"Amazing," he said. "It turns so easily! Even at the slightest touch."

"Go on and try it," Wood said. "I just have to teach Potter the rules and everything."

"Okay," said Alessia before launching off the ground and zooming across the field.

Harry was right. The Nimbus Two Thousand was better than anything she'd flown before. It turned naturally as she leaned one way or another and could switch directions in a split second. She bolted from one side of the field to the other, counting how long it took her to reach the opposite end.

A Bludger came shooting at her and she dodged it before it went hurtling towards the ground at Wood. Alessia watched him dive over it and pin it to the ground. She continued her flying until Wood called her down.

"Hey," he shouted. "Come here!"

Alessia moved into a dive and pulled up out of it to be parallel with ground and slowed to a stop, hovering just a few feet above the grass.

Wood looked stunned.

"What?" she said, successfully hiding her own shock.

"I-I've never seen anyone be able to do that at your age before."

"If it makes you feel any better, I was never able to do that before just now. I always just toppled onto the grass. That's actually what I was expecting to happen - even if I _have_ been flying since I was six."

It took a moment for Wood to collect his thoughts. Harry just grinned widely up at her. "It's too dark to use the Golden Snitch," Wood said finally. "We're just going to use these Muggle things here." Wood took out a few white balls from his pocket.

"Those are called golf balls, Wood," Alessia informed him.

"Whatever. I want us to take turns throwing them to each other. It'll help me see how well your throwing arm is, McKinnon. And how well Potter can catch."

Wood tossed a few of the golf balls up to Alessia, which she pocketed before flying a little higher in the air. The two boys joined her a few seconds later. They practiced throwing the balls in different directions at Harry. Alessia moved farther and farther away at Wood's request and caught the little balls when he passed them to her. Neither Harry nor Alessia missed a single one. Wood was delighted.

"That's enough for tonight," Wood sighed.

As they walked back up to the castle, Wood told them, "That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year."

They were almost back to the Gryffindor Tower when Wood said, "I won't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, Potter. He could've played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons in Romania."

When they stepped into the common room, Wood parted with, "I know you're on reserve, McKinnon, but I expect to see you at practice with us. That way you'll be even better next year when you're actually playing."

"Now I see what the twins meant," Alessia muttered as she walked up to bed.


	9. Chapter 9

The Quidditch practice wiped Alessia out every night she went. She and Wood had agreed that twice a week was the best option. Tonight was her night off and she pored over her textbooks while in the Gryffindor common room. Alessia still felt out of place there, but she liked waiting for the team to return.

The longer she waited, the heavier her eyelids felt. She put her arms on the desk and then laid her head down.

It was that dream again. She was bleeding from deep wounds and bound to a chair. This time she tried to scream for help. But no sound came.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped awake with a yelp.

"Sorry," George said. "I just wanted to make sure you got to bed properly."

Alessia groaned and stretched. It was getting worse. "Thanks," she said, gathering her books and parchment.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

She couldn't tell if she felt patronized or cared for as she pinched her nose to stop the sudden bleeding. The simple answer she had: "I don't want to talk about it." Alessia walked up to her dormitory, leaving George looking befuddled.

The next day was Halloween. Aromas of pumpkin wafted through the corridors. Alessia had gone up to bed, but never fell asleep again. Getting up for class was more difficult than usual that morning.

When she arrived in Charms class, Professor Flitwick announced that they would finally be trying the Hover Charm. Most of the class had been looking forward to this day since seeing Neville's toad fly around the classroom.

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs. Harry was with Seamus Finnigan and it was difficult to decipher if Ron Weasley was angrier than Hermione Granger about them being partners. She hadn't spoken to Harry or Ron in weeks. Alessia was left with Neville Longbottom as her partner.

"Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" Professor Flitwick reminded the class. "The swish and flick."

He demonstrated the movement. "Everyone," he beckoned.

"The swish and flick," the class and Professor Flitwick repeated in unison.

"And enunciate!" the Charms teacher prompted. " _Wingardium Leviosa_. Off you go then."

Neville had already forgotten the wrist movement. He kept swishing without flicking.

"Longbottom," Alessia stopped him. "It's swish and flick."

"Right, right. Thanks."

In front of them, Hermione had begun to correct Ron about his pronunciation.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snapped. "It's Levi- _o_ -sa. Not Levio- _sa_."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Alessia watched them as Neville's continued swishing went unnoticed to her this time. Hermione waved her wand and flicked it while saying, " _Wingardium Leviosa!_ "

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered higher and higher as she flicked her wand more. This drew the attention of everyone in the class and they stopped.

"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick cried. "See here, everyone. Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron looked a mix of jealous and frustrated.

"Well done, dear," Professor Flitwick said with a smile.

While everyone looked in awe at Hermione's accomplishment, Seamus returned to trying to make the feather fly.

" _Wingard Leviosa!_ " he said. " _Wingard Leviosa!_ "

An explosion erupted and Seamus was covered in soot again. The feather was hovering, but it was smoking from a few embers.

Alessia was leaning over her desk to tap Hermione on the shoulder, but the booming had made her jump. She sat back down.

At the end of class, Harry and Ron walked out together. Alessia was trying to catch up to Hermione, but she was rushing past the boys and then out of sight.

"I think she heard you," Harry said as Alessia caught up.

"Heard what?" Alessia asked him.

"Erm-"

"Well?!"

The boys exchanged glances. Alessia scoffed and hurried to the next class in hope to catch Hermione.

Only she wasn't there. It was unlike Hermione to miss any class time. Alessia took notes of everything they did in History of Magic.

When the class was released, Alessia hurried to the dormitories to see if Hermione had gone up to bed. She wasn't there either.

Giving up, Alessia headed down to the Halloween Feast. A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and even more swooped over the tables. Candles in the pumpkins lit the Great Hall as they floated in midair.

Alessia took a seat next to Harry. "Where's Granger?"

Neville overheard the question and leaned in. "Pavarti Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girls' bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon. Crying."

Harry glanced back at Ron. Alessia watched Ron shrug.

"What did you say to her, Weasley?" she demanded. "It was obviously something _you_ said."

Ron's aggravated response was interrupted by Professor Quirrell sprinting into the hall and shouting, "Troll! In the dungeon!" he whimpered. "Thought you ought to know!" He sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. The students began to scream and rush out of the room.

"Silence!" the headmaster's voice boomed. The chaos ceased. "Everyone will please not panic. Now… Prefects will lead their Houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

Alessia followed the Gryffindors back to the tower, assuming the boys had done the same. When they entered, most of the students sank into armchairs or other available seats. Alessia spotted Fred and George and approached them. She caught George's eye and he waved her over.

"Having a nice Halloween?" Fred asked.

"Sure, I guess," Alessia said noncommittally. Suddenly aware that she did not convince the twins, "It's just a bit weird being here instead," she recovered quickly. "I grew up in a Muggle town, so we always had trick-or-treating."

"What's trick-or-treating?"

"I feel like this is something we should be involved in," George said with an amused smirk.

Quick-witted, Alessia narrowed her eyes at them. "No, it's not."

"Oh, c'mon, McKinnon," Fred insisted. "Tell us. We won't do anything to _you_."

"Yes, but I suspect you'd try to prank the Slytherins."

"So that's where 'trick' comes in," George said, his eyes glinting mischievously. The twins stood up from their seats. "What's 'treat'?"

"Shite," Alessia muttered. Her eyes darted around the room. "Please don't do anything on my account. My mum would kill me."

"What she doesn't know won't kill her," said Fred.

"She's an Auror. She'd know. Besides, Slytherin was my mum's old House - bollocks." She hadn't wanted to reveal that last part.

George sat back down. " _Really_?" he asked.

Alessia realized she couldn't come back from her mistake. "Yes."

"What did your mum say when she found out you're a Gryffindor?" George asked.

Alessia bit her lip. Her mother had told her to make the late Seamus McKinnon proud. "Look," she said, her voice wavering. "Do what you'd like, just don't involve me." She walked away, ignoring George's question. The feast had been moved to the common room, but she strolled past and up the stairs to her room.

Hermione was still missing. Alessia had noticed that Harry and Ron were absent as well. Attempting to shake the rising concern in her mind, she pulled out her notes and textbooks and began to read.

The distraction wasn't enough. Alessia could still hear the low rumble of voices downstairs and decided to return to the feast. To her relief, the three Gryffindors that she had been worried about were standing near the entrance.

"Hey Granger!" Alessia called as she approached. "I've been trying to find you."

"Why?" Hermione asked, turning around and she fidgeting with a grimy sleeve.

"Wait. Why are you covered in dust?"

"The troll came to the girls' bathroom and Harry and Ron actually saved my life."

"You might not have needed saving if Ron hadn't insulted you," Harry interjected, appearing at Alessia's side. Alessia made a noise between a scoff and a gasp.

"What was it you wanted to say before?" Hermione inquired, looking desperate to change the subject.

"I wanted to tell you that I thought you did brilliantly in Charms class today," Alessia praised. "Been trying to tell you since you made the feather fly, but Seamus made his feather explode. Then apparently Ron insulted you, so now's the only chance I've had all day."

Hermione flushed bright red. "Thanks."

"Hey, McKinnon!" Fred called. "No need to explain trick-or-treating to us anymore. Harry told us."

Alessia turned to Harry. "You did _what_?"

"I didn't know they didn't know!" he protested.

Alessia groaned. "If they do anything tonight, I'm going to jinx your pillow, Potter."

"Relax, McKinnon," George said from behind her. "We'll bring you back a souvenir."

"Like what? Part of a door?"

"I was thinking of something a bit smaller," Fred said. "But we'll bring you that, then!"

"Please don't."


	10. Chapter 10

By the time the Halloween Feast was over, Alessia and Hermione had been bantering about various spells and potions for two hours straight. Harry and Ron had sat down next to Hermione, but seemed to have gotten bored about ten minutes in, so Ron starting teaching Harry Wizard's Chess.

"Oh!" Alessia exclaimed after a few minutes' silence.

"Now what?" Ron muttered. "Forgot to mention something about a spell to turn a book into a bird?"

"Don't be a Dorcus, Weasley," scoffed Alessia. "No. I just remembered I took notes for you, Granger. Since you missed History of Magic because of this one." She punched Ron in the shoulder. ("Ow!")

"Thanks," Hermione said, smiling.

Alessia had cut down her study time with Nikos to twice a week, which he was relieved about. Even though they spent their time silently, he had become accustomed to his solitude over the past two years and secretly yearned for that once more.

November chill accompanied the start of the Quidditch season. Despite the frost that covered the grounds, Wood still insisted upon the same training schedule. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first game. It was clear to him and Hermione that Alessia felt conflicted over the match as it was Slytherin versus Gryffindor. She tended to ignore their questions and continued to assist Hermione with helping Harry keep up with his homework instead.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia were seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall when a few fourth-years walked by.

"Good luck, Potter! We know you'll do brilliantly."

Alessia glanced up as they wandered away. "I thought it was supposed to be a secret."

"It was, but I guess the news got out," Harry shrugged.

"Bloody hell," Alessia groaned.

"What?" Hermione said.

"Incoming."

Malfoy and his cronies were sauntering over.

"Just keep your heads," Hermione reminded them.

But Alessia was scowling even before Malfoy reached the table. "So Potter," he sneered with derision. "We heard you'll be playing as Seeker tomorrow."

Harry ignored him.

"We'll be running around underneath you holding a mattress."

"Too bad nobody did that for you when we played," Alessia muttered. "Maybe you wouldn't have broken several bones."

Malfoy's eyes shot to hers, acknowledging her for the first time in weeks. She wore a smirk and raised her eyebrow at him.

"What is it, Draco?" she slighted, her tone dripping with faux concern. "Can't handle being reminded of your _failures_?"

Malfoy's features moved into an angry glower before he and Crabbe and Goyle marched away. Alessia snorted.

"Blimey," Harry said. "Remind me never to cross you."

Alessia shrugged. "At least it got him to go away," she said nonchalantly. "He was always a sore loser."

Harry returned to poring over _Quidditch Through the Ages_ , which Hermione had lent to him. Even in the Great Hall, the cold seeped in. As they left for their classes, they shivered.

At break, Hermione found a solution. They were out in the freezing courtyard when she conjured up a bright blue flame that could be carried in a jam jar. They sat on the bench with their backs to it and were getting warm when Professor Snape hobbled across the lawn.

They moved closer to hide the fire from view; Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia were unsure if it was allowed. They must have looked a little guilty because Professor Snape's attention was caught and he hobbled over. It wasn't the fire that he cared about. He simply wanted to tell Harry off.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?"

Harry showed him _Quidditch Through the Ages_.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Professor Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

Alessia scoffed in disbelief as the Potions Master limped away. "What the bloody hell?"

"He just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily.

"What's he got against you?" Alessia asked.

"Dunno, but did you see his leg? Something's wrong with it."

"Hope it's hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia found refuge by a window.

"What did you write for this?" Harry asked, trying to peek at Alessia's Charms homework.

"Oi! I'm not going to let you copy!" Alessia said as she covered her parchment.

"Oh, c'mon," Ron whined.

"How will you learn if you just copy us?" Hermione posed, raising an eyebrow at the boys.

"We'll check your work when you're done. Deal?" Alessia offered.

Harry and Ron nodded. "Sure," Harry said. "Better than nothing."

When the boys finished, Hermione and Alessia huddled together, comparing the answers and pointing out errors to each other. Harry was fidgeting.

"Potter!" Alessia snapped. "Stop!"

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "I'm a bit restless."

"Go for a walk or something," suggested Alessia.

"I think I'll go see if Snape will give me back _Quidditch Through the Ages_."

"Better you than me," Ron and Hermione said together. Alessia muttered something incoherent. After Harry left, the girls returned to their work while Ron revised his homework. About fifteen minutes later, Harry returned.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry rejoined them. "What's the matter?"

"I went to see if Snape was in the staffroom and Filch was there helping bandage Snape's leg. It was all bloody and mangled. He said something about the three-headed dog. When I saw, I tried to leave, but he saw me before yelling at me to get out. You know what this means?" Harry finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past the dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! Probably whatever Hagrid took from Gringotts before the attempted robbery. And I'd bet my broomstick _he_ let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Hermione's eyes were wide.

"No!" Alessia contended. "He wouldn't. My mum is friends with him. She'd never be friends with a _criminal_."

Ron raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.

"I know he's not very nice," Hermione said. "But he wouldn't try to steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly, you two," snapped Ron. "You probably both think all teachers are saints or something."

"Maybe if you were a better student you'd think better of Professor Snape too," Alessia snarled.

Ron stood up angrily, towering over Alessia. She rose from her seat to face him. They glowered at each other.

"Everyone knows Slytherin spits out rotten witches and wizards," Ron said, glaring at Alessia.

She slapped him hard in the face and picked up her books then stormed off into the girls' dormitories.

The next morning was bright and cold. Delicious aromas of fried sausages and happy chatter filled the Great Hall. Still irritated with Ron, Alessia arrived alone to breakfast. The other three had already sat down. Instead of joining them, she took a seat alone.

"Are you all right?" George asked as he sat down across from her.

Alessia ignored him. "Okay," George said. "You don't have to tell me, but I did hear what my brother said to you last night."

"Are you angry that I hit him?" Alessia said softly.

"He got what he deserved." George's eyes twinkled as he grinned.

Alessia offered him a small smile. Hermione glanced over and she stood up to join them.

"Hey," she said. "I know you're still annoyed with Ron, but do you want to help the others with making a banner for Harry?"

Alessia looked down at her unfinished meal. For once, she actually had an appetite. "Do you mind waiting until I'm done?"

"Sure." Hermione sat down next to George.

"Well," he said. "It seems you have better company than me, so I'll see you later, Alessia."

She nodded as she took a bite of sausage, trying to ignore the little spark of heat in her cheeks when he said her name. Hermione seemed to have noticed Alessia trying to avoid her friend's eyes.

"George is nice, isn't he?" Hermione asked with a casual voice.

"Mhmm," Alessia responded as she shoveled more food into her mouth.

"So how are you after last night?" Hermione inquired, seemingly aware that between the two topics, Alessia might actually talk about the latter.

"It's like you said. I'm still annoyed."

"Why-"

"Granger," Alessia remarked. "I know you care, but I don't want to talk about it."

"I just want you to know you can trust me."

"I do. I just don't want to talk about it where everyone can hear me."

"So you'll tell me later?"

"Yes."


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione and Alessia walked up to the Gryffindor Tower and joined Ron, Neville, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas who sat on the common room floor with a sheet that Ron's rat, Scabbers, had ruined. They were turning it into a banner that read " _Potter for President_ ". Dean was working on a Gryffindor lion and the other two were painting the letters.

"You know what'd be wicked?" Alessia said as she kneeled down next to Neville. "If these letters flashed different colors."

"I could work on that," Hermione replied.

"Sweet. Would you mind if I tried to make the lion roar, Thomas?"

"Give it a go," he said.

By eleven o'clock they had all taken their spots in the Quidditch pitch stands. The Gryffindors cheered loudly as the team took the field. Ron, Neville, and Seamus shook the banner wildly, whooping. The banner flashed alternating gold and crimson as the lion occasionally roared. Alessia stood next to Hermione, looking almost miserable.

The players mounted their brooms. The fifteen brooms rose up high into the air at the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too-"

"Jordan!"

"Sorry, Professor."

The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, a black boy with dreadlocks, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.

"And she's really belting along there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, who'll be leaving after this year - a really great find for the team - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which."

Alessia narrowed her eyes and looked through her binoculars. It had been George who hit the Bludger. The twins had slightly different styles of flying. She cleared her throat as if to scare off the embarrassment of being able to tell which twin it was from this distance.

"-Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goalposts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor side accompanied by disappointed groans from the Slytherins. Alessia grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked her.

"The noise - it's getting to me. It's just a bit loud for me is all."

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hagrid!" Ron shuffled over and Hagrid squeezed between him and Hermione.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting his own large pair of binoculars around his neck. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd."

"You can say that again," muttered Alessia.

"No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?" Hagrid asked, unaware of her comment.

"Nope," Ron replied. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars to his eyes and spotting Harry.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan announced. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds towards the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

The crowd murmured as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking at the flash of gold that had buzzed past his left ear.

Harry dove after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had spotted it too. Neck and neck, they hurtled towards the Snitch - Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

"What the bloody hell are they doing?" Alessia shouted angrily. "Mind the Quaffle!"

Harry was faster than Higgs, but in a second he crashed into Marcus Flint. The Gryffindors roared in rage.

"Foul!" Madam Hooch ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, Harry seemed to have lost sight of the Snitch.

"Red card!" Alessia heard Dean Thomas shouting. "Send him off the field! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Dean?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Red card!" Dean said furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!'

"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.

Hagrid looked at the boys. "They oughta change the rules. Flint could knocked Harry outta the air."

"So?" Alessia said. "I've fallen from that height and been fine."

Hagrid's response was interrupted by a collective shout as Harry dodged another Bludger. His broom lurched. Alessia's eyes widened in concern.

"I take it back," she shouted to Hagrid.

Harry was hanging from his broom with both hands. The broom was bucking again. Lee Jordan was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no…"

The Slytherins cheered. No one but Hagrid, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia had seemed to notice.

"Seems he's lost control of his broom," Alessia shouted over the crowd.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus called to her, taking notice of Harry.

"Can't have," Hagrid said. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no _kid_ could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

Hermione seized Alessia's binoculars. ("Hey!") Hermione started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" Ron yelled.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. "Snape - look."

Alessia snatched her binoculars back. Professor Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop.

"No-" Alessia sighed in disbelief. "No!"

Hermione disappeared. Alessia moved her focus back to Harry. Fred and George flew up to him, trying to get him to safety onto one of their brooms, but it was no use. The Nimbus jumped higher and higher each time they tried. They dropped lower and circled close beneath him, clearly hoping to catch him if he fell.

Alessia moved her focus back to Snape. His eye contact had broken and Harry was able to swing himself back onto his broom. Harry and Higgs were speeding towards the ground, neck and neck once more. Higgs pulled out of the dive. Harry did the same a moment later. The crowd gasped as he was only a foot above the grass. He pushed himself onto his feet, balancing on his broom and reached out for the Snitch. He took a step forward and lost his balance, toppling off his broom.

Harry was bent over, gagging.

"I think he's gonna be sick!" Hagrid said.

Harry coughed and the Snitch fell into his hands.

"He's got the Snitch!" Lee Jordan announced. "Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch."

Madam Hooch sounded her whistle. "Gryffindor wins!"


	12. Chapter 12

Ignoring the Slytherin Captain's arguments with Madam Hooch, Harry ran over to Ron, Hermione, and Alessia who were followed by Hagrid. They walked back to Hagrid's hut for some celebratory tea. When they sat down, the young Gryffindors discussed what happened.

"It was Snape," Ron explained. "Hermione saw him. Alessia too."

"I can't believe he'd jinx your broom," Alessia mumbled.

"Well, believe it!" Ron snapped. "You saw it with your own eyes."

"Shut it, Weasley."

"Rubbish," Hagrid said. He hadn't heard the youngsters discussing the issue while in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks. Alessia crossed her arms stubbornly. Her mother would never be friends with a man who would try to kill a _child_. The other three continued their exchange, wondering what to say. Harry told Hagrid the truth.

"I found out something about him," he said. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

"Who told you about Fluffy?" he said with a curious and concerned squint.

" _Fluffy_?" Ron repeated.

"That _thing_ has a name?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"'Course he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Shouldn't have said that," Hagrid muttered. "No more questions. Don't ask any more questions!" he commanded. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Hagrid," Harry insisted. "Whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it!"

"Codswallop."

"Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher," Alessia said finally, having been glowering angrily during this entire conversation.

"Hogwarts teacher or not," Hermione countered. "I know a jinx when I see one. I've read all about wandless magic. You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking."

"No!" Alessia maintained. "My mum would never be friends with someone who would try to kill an innocent person - let alone a kid!"

"Ever thought that maybe your mother was a dirty, rotten-"

Alessia swung a hand at Ron for the second time in twenty-four hours. Her palm hit his face with a harsh snap. She snatched up her binoculars and stomped out of the hut. The door slammed shut behind her.

When Alessia returned to the castle, she stormed through the corridors and back to the Gryffindor Tower. A low rumble could be heard from behind the Fat Lady's portrait. When she entered, many of the students were celebrating the win.

Fred and George spotted her as she maneuvered her way through the clusters of people.

"Hey, McKinnon!" they called from behind her.

She was still scowling angrily. "What?" she snapped, turning around.

"Whoa," Fred said. "Easy there. What's got your wand in a knot?"

Alessia raised an irritated eyebrow at him.

"What did Ron do this time?" George sighed.

"Ugh," she exclaimed. "Same as last time, basically."

"Did you slap him again?" George's eyes were twinkling again. Fred looked at his twin in amazement and then back at Alessia with an amused smirk.

"What would you say if I said no?"

"I would say that you should have."

Alessia's anger lifted just enough to chuckle softly. "Good thing I did, then."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned from Hagrid's about an hour later looking befuddled.

"Ever heard of a Nicolas Flamel?" Hermione whispered to Alessia when they joined her and the Weasley twins in the common room.

"Sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm not sure why," Alessia said in response.

As Christmas drew nearer, the corridors became icy and bitter winds threatened to shake open the classroom window shutters. The lake had frozen over and Fred and George had gotten into trouble for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Professor Quirrell around and bounced off the back of his turban. Very few owls managed to weather the wintry storms and most had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

Most of the students were shivering in Professor Snape's class in the dungeons. Their breaths rose in a mist before them and they kept close to their cauldrons.

"I do feel sorry," Draco Malfoy uttered loudly one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

Glancing up from her work, Alessia stared at him. Malfoy was looking over at Harry as he said it. Crabbe and Goyle began to chuckle. Alessia's eyes darted to Harry. He was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish and ignoring them.

Alessia rolled her eyes. Malfoy had been more unpleasant ever since Slytherin's loss of the Quidditch match. He had tried to mock Harry by saying a wide-mouthed tree frog would replace him as Seeker. No one had really found this funny since everyone was impressed that Harry Potter had managed to stay on his broom when it jolted around so much. Resigned, Malfoy returned to taunting Harry about having no proper family.

In a letter, Alessia had begged her mother to let her stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, so that Harry wouldn't be alone, but her mother insisted that it was better not to be away from home for the winter holidays. "Christmas is about family," her mother corresponded in her reply. "Using that logic," Alessia had written back, "Harry should be with some sort of family, but he's not." As a compromise, her mother and grandfather would be staying in Hogsmeade and would come up to the castle to visit. Ron and his brothers would be staying as well since their parents were going to be visiting Charlie in Romania, which Hermione had suggested would allow them to learn to tolerate each other. "Fat chance of that happening," Alessia had said, earning her a playful whack on the arm from Hermione.

When they left the dungeons after the end of class, Hagrid was carrying a large fir tree. Alessia sneezed, pausing next to Hermione and Harry.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches. Alessia sneezed again.

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Malfoy drawled coldly as Alessia sniffled and rubbed her eyes. She sneezed many times more, interrupting Malfoy's next insult.

"Are you-" (sneeze) "trying to earn some-" (sneeze) "extra money, Weasley?" (sneeze) Malfoy began to speak louder to drown out his old friend's disruptions. "Hoping to be a gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what you family's used to."

Ron dived at Malfoy just as Professor Snape came up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes. Alessia sneezed again.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," Hagrid defended, peering out from behind the tree. Alessia inhaled sharply, causing a loud sniffle. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," Professor Snape remarked coldly. Alessia sneezed. "Five points from Gryffindor-" Another sneeze interrupted him. "Be grateful it isn't more, Weasley."

Alessia sneezed again, this time stumbling into Malfoy. He shoved her away from him as she sneezed another time, knocking her into Professor Snape.

"McKinnon!" Professor Snape barked. "Come with me."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Hagrid; Hermione looked back at Alessia with an anxious glance.

Alessia sneezed into her sleeve as she followed the Potions Master back to the dungeons.

"Are you getting a cold?" Professor Snape asked.

"Why do you care?" Alessia unintentionally snapped, wiping the blood that had dripped from her nose. "I'm a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. Why would you care about someone who's not even in your own House?"

"Perhaps I don't," the Potions Master peered down at her, an eyebrow raised.

Alessia gulped, quickly scanning his face for any sign of sincerity. As usual, Professor Snape was unwaveringly stoic.

"I always get like this around Christmas time," Alessia said, wringing her hands and staring at the floor. "I think it's the trees."

"You might be allergic."

"Okay," Alessia mumbled, looking at the professor's feet. "What can I do about it?"

"I'll work on a potion for you to cure it."

"I assume you're only doing this because of my mother."

The professor ignored her and stated, "The potion should be ready before the holidays are over."

"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Sneeze on everyone and make them all think I'm a walking specimen of illness?"

Professor Snape's head twitched at Alessia's sarcastic remark. "Go see if Madam Pomfrey has something you can take."

After leaving the Hospital Wing with a potion to help with the nasal congestion, Alessia wandered back to the Gryffindor Tower, assuming that was where Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone after they had split up. To her surprise, they weren't there. Shrugging, Alessia ascended the stairs to the girls' dormitory and plopped her bag onto her bed. She checked her watch. It was lunchtime.

On her way, she was looking at her feet and letting her dark blonde waves fall in front of her face. Without realizing, she walked straight into a tall and thin Gryffindor.

"Sorry!" she said, looking up to see a familiar face framed by ginger hair.

"That's all right, Alessia," George said. "You looking for Harry and Hermione?"

"Uh, yeah."

"They're over there," he said, pointing to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. "Fair warning," George added. "Ron's with them."

"I figured," Alessia shrugged. "I'm not really angry with him anymore though."

"That's good."

"I reckon if we're going to have to spend the holidays here all together, I may as well take Granger's advice and try to tolerate him."

"That's what I do," George winked.

Grinning, Alessia said, "I'll see you later."

As she approached Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Alessia realized they must have gone to the library to stubbornly check for Flamel's name for another time like they had every day for the past two weeks.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" Hermione was asking them as Alessia sat down next to her. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe," Hermione stated. "Seeing as they're both dentists."

Alessia chuckled at Ron's confused expression. He asked, "What the bloody hell are dentists?"


	13. Chapter 13

The dormitories were much quieter once the holidays has started. Alessia was alone in hers and Harry and Ron had theirs to themselves. The common room was far emptier than usual, so they had been able to move a few armchairs near the fireplace. They sat there eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - English muffins, bread, marshmallows. Harry and Ron began to plot ways to get Malfoy expelled, which they seemed to enjoy even though many of the plans would never work. Alessia simply skulked in her chair, curled up under a large fleece blanket and flipping absently through a library book on Transfiguration.

When they became overly enthusiastic about an idea to frame Malfoy for something, she turned around, looking for a better place to sit. The boys were oblivious to Alessia's discomfort and even displeasure of their ramblings. To her relief, she saw her mother's owl tapping on the window. Opening it, a gust of frozen air entered the tower. Shivering, she took the note from Altheda and offered the owl her arm. Shutting the window, she walked back carefully with the bird perched on her forearm. Kneeling on the hearth, Alessia beckoned the white-faced owl to sit by the fire while she read the letter.

 _Alessia,_

 _Papa and I spoke with Professor McGonagall and she will allow you and Harry to accompany us to dinner tonight. Send Altheda back with a reply that you got this and let me know what time you would like me to come get you both._

 _Love, Mum_

"What is it?" Harry inquired, recognizing the McKinnon family owl. "Is it from your mum?"

"Yes," Alessia responded. "She's invited you to dinner with us."

"Oh!" Harry glanced at Ron. Alessia assumed he was considering whether to stay with his best friend or take up the offer. She didn't particularly like Ron nor did she want him finding out her mother had been a Slytherin, so she didn't bother inviting him. "Do you mind?" Harry asked finally.

"No," Ron said, with a little bit of iciness. "Go ahead. We hang out together all day anyhow."

At around six o'clock, Professor McGonagall entered the common room accompanied by Persephone McKinnon. Harry rose from his seat after lacing up his Muggle snow boots. Persephone approached her daughter and Harry, offering the boy her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter," Persephone greeted him.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. McKinnon," Harry replied.

The youngsters followed Persephone through the castle and into the courtyard.

"You'll be allowed to go to Hogsmeade on the weekends when you're in your third year," Persephone mentioned.

They trudged through the heavy snow and down the hill into the wizarding village. Hogsmeade had rows of houses on one end and many buildings lined up next to each other. The shops occupied the first and second floors of most of the taller structures.

Harry and Alessia followed Persephone into a pub called The Three Broomsticks. "I've invited Professor Snape as well," she said, holding the door open for Harry and Alessia.

Harry frowned slightly. Alessia looked up at her mother. "Mum, he and Harry don't particularly get on well, remember?"

"Then this is the perfect opportunity for the two of them to get to know each other better."

"Yeah, sure," Alessia muttered. "Good luck with that." Harry chuckled.

"Alessia!" Atticus called, standing up.

"Papa!" Alessia ran up to embrace her grandfather who was at a table with Professor Snape.

"Mr. Potter," Professor Snape nodded without rising from his chair.

"Professor," Harry replied.

"Is that how you were taught to greet someone, Sev?" Persephone said, slapping the teacher upside the head as she strode to her seat next to him. Professor Snape glowered.

"I wouldn't expect much more from them," Atticus McLaren noted.

Harry and Alessia took their seats. Despite the tension between Harry and Professor Snape, dinner went unexpectedly well. Persephone asked Harry about his Quidditch playing and how his classes were going. Having played Seeker herself while at Hogwarts, Persephone offered a few tips and tricks. To Harry's relief, Professor Snape left early, muttering something to Persephone as he left. He offered a nod to Alessia before departing.

Stuffed with delicious food and hot chocolate, Harry and Alessia were content when they left the warm pub. Alessia was glad there wasn't even a mention of what House her mother had been in.

The next day, Alessia rose to the sound of tapping on her window. Altheda had arrived with a letter presumably from Persephone.

 _Alessia,_

 _Your mother and I will be leaving for the castle in a few minutes. Join us for brunch._

 _Papa_

Scrambling into a change of clothes, Alessia pulled on a jumper and her boots before tossing an olive green scarf around her neck and darting out the door.

Arriving in the Great Hall, she scanned the tables for her grandfather and mother. The tall and grey-haired man beckoned her over to the table where Atticus sat with his step-daughter, Professor Snape, and Nikos.

At the prospect of facing the displeasure of both Gryffindors and Slytherins, Alessia grudgingly joined them.

She did this every meal until Christmas Day.

Having avoided Harry for most of the holidays since their dinner in Hogsmeade to avoid hearing him ask about how her mother knew Professor Snape so well, Alessia rose to Ron shouting for Harry to wake up and reluctantly decided to join them. Drowsily, she pulled on a sweatshirt and walked down the stairs.

"Can you two be any louder?" Alessia called to them in an amused voice that must have come across as irritable.

"Look, it's the traitor," Ron scoffed, causing Alessia to glare at him.

"Shut-"

"Oi!" Harry interrupted. "It's Christmas. Can you two stop fighting for one day?"

The other two grumbled, but nodded. Opening their presents at the same time, they ripped the parcels open. Alessia had received a few olive green articles of clothing from Atticus, a hand-carved wooden box from Persephone, a Muggle book from Nikos entitled _Sense and Sensibility_ by Jane Austen, and a box of chocolate cauldrons from Hermione. She sneezed a few times from being near the Christmas tree.

Harry had opened his presents: a flute from Hagrid and a little coin from his aunt and uncle.

"That's friendly," said Harry after reading the note.

Ron picked up the coin. " _Weird!_ " he cried. "What a shape! This is _money_?"

Harry laughed. "You can keep it," he told Ron. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle - so who sent these?"

"I think I know who that one's from," Ron pointed at a lumpy package, turning a bit pink.

"And this one's from my family," Alessia said, handing a parcel covered in the same paper as her own presents to Harry. "My mum probably got you something that'll just clutter your room. That's what she always does for me. I can't tell you how many useless trinkets she's given me that just sit on a shelf in my room at home."

Harry tore off the paper as Alessia stifled a sneeze. Persephone had given him a small elegantly carved marble box with a Golden Snitch on the top. There were Celtic knots bordering it. "I love it!" He lunged forward and pulled Alessia into a hug. She looked taken aback.

"Okay," she said after a few more seconds, tapping him awkwardly on the back. "That's enough." Harry tilted off his knees and sat back down.

He grabbed the lumpy package and opened it. It was a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.

"That's from my mum," Ron said, opening his own. "She makes us a jumper every year and mine's _always_ maroon."

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying some of the fudge.

Ron began to shake his head. Alessia contested, agreeing with Harry, "No. It is. See, my mum may always _buy_ something for me and my brother, but it's never anything that feels like she put much thought into. I _wish_ my mum made something for me."

Ron turned pink and passed Harry another present, avoiding her eyes. After reading the note, he opened it: a sleek and silvery grey fabric slithered onto the floor. Ron and Alessia gasped.

"I've heard of those," Ron said in a hushed voice, putting down the box of Every Flavor Beans Hermione had given him. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and _really_ valuable."

"What is it?" Harry asked, picking up the shining, silvery cloth off the floor.

"It's gotta be an Invisibility Cloak, right, Weasley?" Alessia said, glancing at Ron and trying to draw in a breath through her nose, causing a sniffle.

He nodded absently. "Try it on." Harry threw the Cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell. "It _is_!"

Harry dashed to the mirror and pulled the Cloak over his head. He vanished from sight.

"I wonder who gave it to you," Alessia shouted to him from across the room.

Harry pulled the hood down and walked back. "There was no name. It just said, 'Use it well'."

Pulling it off and tucking it out of sight, Harry, Ron, and Alessia were joined by Fred and George, pulling Percy with them. The Gryffindor Prefect had his arms pinned to his sides by his jumper and his glasses askew.

Fred and George were wearing blue jumpers of their own, one with a big yellow F on it and the other with a G.

"Merry Christmas!"

George hopped onto the couch behind Alessia. Turning to face the twins as Fred plopped down next to him, she narrowed her eyes at them. Behind them, Percy pushed his arms through the sleeves of his new jumper and fixed his glasses before sitting down in an armchair. Alessia rubbed her itching eyes, inhaling sharply through her congested nose.

"Harry's got a Weasley jumper too!" Fred declared. Looking at his younger brother, he demanded, "Why aren't you wearing yours? C'mon, get it on, they're lovely and warm."

"I hate maroon," Ron groaned as he pulled it over his head.

Alessia's eyes darted between the twins. "You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed.

"Why are you wearing _that_ jumper?" Alessia asked George who was wearing the one with the F, wondering if she was mixing them up.

"Mum probably think we forget our names," Fred said.

"But we're not stupid," George continued. "We know we're called Gred and Forge."

Harry and Alessia tittered. "That explains things," she said.

At Christmas dinner, a hundred fat roasted turkeys, mountains of roasted and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of rich gravy and cranberry sauce, and stacks of wizard crackers lined the tables. Persephone had written to her daughter earlier that day saying that she and Atticus would be sitting with Alessia and her friends. The young witch had grumbled at this, but she had been missing eating with peers, which was an odd realization for her.

Climbing over the bench, Alessia set herself between Harry and Nikos. "I take it Mum made you sit with us?"

Nikos nodded. "Feels weird sitting with you Gryffindors."

Fred and George recognized the Hufflepuff across from them. "Aren't you in our year?" Fred asked.

Nikos nodded as Persephone took a seat next to her son. Atticus joined her on her other side. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and engulfed the group with blue smoke while a rear admiral's hat and several white mice exploded from the center. Professor Dumbledore at the High Table swapped his wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, chuckling at a joke Professor Flitwick read to him.

Persephone walked up to the High Table. Alessia watched as her mother shook hands with the Headmaster. Dumbledore offered the McKinnon matriarch the other end of a cracker. It burst, revealing an emerald green bowler hat. Professor Snape, who had been nearby, looked at Persephone as she strode over to him. He glowered as she put the hat on his head. Alessia snorted in amusement when he took it off and glared at his long-time friend as she returned to the Gryffindor table.

Christmas pudding followed the turkey. Alessia hadn't been able to eat much since their Hogsmeade dinner, but enjoyed the delicate cake. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a hidden Sickle in his slice. Harry chuckled at something.

"What?" Alessia asked him before sneezing.

"Hagrid just kissed McGonagall on the cheek and she giggled."

Alessia looked at the Gryffindor Head of House through itching, watery eyes. Professor McGonagall was blushing and her top hat was tilted slightly.

When they left the feast, Harry had non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own Wizard's Chess set. Alessia had won a set of Exploding Snap with a lion emblazoned on the back of the cards. As Harry, Alessia, and the Weasleys returned to Gryffindor Tower, Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, trotted past them with a white mouse in her mouth.

That afternoon, Nikos sat on a bench, his nose stuck in a book, next to Atticus and Persephone as they watched Harry, Alessia, and the Weasleys have a furiously fun snowball fight on the grounds. When a ball hit Alessia's face, pelted by George, she took out her wand and made a bundle of snow the size of his head chase after him. After a minute or two, he stopped running and before Alessia realized what he was doing, he charged at her, tackling her to the ground, and the ball of ice cold snow covered them both.

Chortling, George pulled Alessia to her feet and thereafter she smashed a handful of snow into his face while giggling. Cold, wet, and still trying to catch their breath from running and laughing, the Gryffindors returned to their common room after Alessia bid her family goodbye for the holidays.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Alessia rose early after having fallen asleep at around midnight. Despite being tired from the exciting day, she had tossed and turned. After Harry, Alessia, and the Weasleys had returned to the Gryffindor common room, Harry broke in his new chess set and lost horribly to Ron even though Percy had tried to help him. Following a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, Harry and Ron were too full and too sleepy to do much before bed. They watched Percy chase Fred and George around the tower with their brother's Prefect badge in hand while Alessia sat, curled up under her blanket, reading the book Nikos gave her. She had gone to bed with the thoughts of how she also strived to have a sense of belonging like the characters in the story, which she certainly did not feel.

Groggily, Alessia changed into a white blouse and an olive green cardigan, the latter of which her grandfather had gifted her the day before. Lacing up her boots, she heard a tapping on the window. She half expected it to be Altheda with a letter from Persephone telling her they had arrived home, but it was an unfamiliar owl - one of the Hogwarts ones. It had a small box and letter attached to its leg.

Opening the window to a gust of icy wind, Alessia untied the parcel from the owl and it flew off into the cloudy sky. She sank onto her bed and tore open the envelope to read the note:

 _This is your finished allergy potion. Drink 10 mL per day until the bottle is empty. (The cap should be the right amount.) There should not be any side effects._

 _Professor Snape_

Alessia took her dose of the potion ("Eugh!") and then tore the parchment off at Professor Snape's name. She descended the stairs holding her blanket and copy of _Sense and Sensibility_. The fire was freshly lit and the common room was empty. After setting down her book and blanket, Alessia knelt down before the fire and placed the parchment in the flames, letting it turn to ash. She couldn't risk letting her gossipy roommates find the note when they returned.

Setting herself up in a crimson armchair and sniffling a little from the still present Christmas tree, Alessia continued her reading from where she left off. She was halfway through the first volume. Putting down the book, she let herself admire a line of writing. It was powerful. It made her feel - feel something more than the perpetual discomfort she had here away from home. Unaware of the gentle footsteps behind her, she sighed.

"Boo!" Fred shouted, grabbing Alessia's shoulders. She jumped and the book toppled off her lap, onto the floor just before the fire.

"Bloody hell," she muttered, reaching for the book. George picked it up first and read the title.

"What's this?" he inquired.

"Present from Nikos," Alessia replied, rubbing her nose. "He always gives me Muggle books."

George placed the book back into her outstretched hand. "What's it about?"

"Simple version of a description or complex version?"

"Simple."

"Loss of love, loss of family, loss of home, morality, betrayal, pain, et cetera, et cetera," Alessia listed, her voice coarser than normal.

"Sounds…" Fred said.

"Like life?"

"I was going to say 'depressing'."

"So is life."

Alessia sat silently next to Harry at breakfast, barely picking at her food. He and Ron were discussing a mirror that Harry had come across last night after trying to find Nicolas Flamel in the Restricted Section.

"You could have woken me up," said Ron, sounding cross.

"You can come tonight, I'm going back. I want to show you the mirror."

Harry nudged Alessia with his elbow. She'd been absently poking the same scrambled egg for the last minute. She looked up at him, "What?"

"Want to come with us?"

Alessia shrugged half-heartedly and rubbing her itchy eye. "C'mon," Harry said. "You should."

"I'd like to see your mum and dad, Harry," Ron said eagerly.

"And I want to see all your family - all the Weasleys - you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."

"You can see them any old time. Just come round my house this summer. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Why aren't you two eating anything? The food's delicious!"

Alessia returned to reading _Sense and Sensibility_. Harry just looked like he was in deep thought.

"Are you two all right?" Ron asked. "You look odd."

"Do you _actually_ care about me? You've no reason to," Alessia stated coldly before leaving the table.

She spent the day huddled in a corner, reading her book away from the others, still sniffling from her allergy. It was clear to even Fred and George not to bother her. When they had spoken to her about the book that morning and she had told them life was depressing, the normally cheerful and quick-witted twins had sat in silence, unsure of what to say or do. Later that evening, Harry kept glancing over at her and finally approached her armchair.

"So," Harry began tentatively. "Did you want-"

"Yes," Alessia replied shortly. "Between the two of you, you're sure to get caught. At least if I come, I can talk us out of trouble or open a bloody door that doesn't lead to something that'll probably kill you."

With Harry, Ron, and Alessia huddled under the Cloak that night, they had to walk slowly and retraced Harry's steps from the library, wandering in the dark passageways for what felt like an eternity.

"I'm freezing," Ron whined. "Let's just forget it and go back."

" _No!_ " Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."

After they passed the ghost of a tall witch, Ron began to whine more about how his feet were ice cold. Alessia snapped at him to shut up.

"It's here - just here - yes!" Harry whispered.

They pushed the door open. Harry slid the Cloak off of them and sprinted towards a mirror. Alessia approached the magnificent, gold ornate object slowly, reading the inscription at the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

"See?" Harry whispered as Alessia reached his side.

Her face was blank. Deep in thought, she stepped closer. Her dark reddish-blonde waves hung like curtains around her face. She'd only ever seen pictures of the tall, burly man standing next to her in the mirror. His sandy blond hair was combed neatly to the side. The man's light green eyes were bright from the smile on his face. His skin was fair and dotted with freckles like Nikos's.

"Dad," Alessia breathed.

On her other side was her grandmother. Lucilla McLaren-King was just as Alessia remembered her. The woman's long rich brown hair was pulled neatly into a bun, silver littering the strands. Her olive skin was tanned lightly, giving a gold appearance, and very wrinkled. She had high cheekbones and rounded features, which contrasted with Persephone's structured jawline. Grandma Lucilla had always told Alessia that Persephone took after Theron in looks, making her look more Greek than Eastern European, but Eris took after the Italian, Russian, and German in her, allowing softer, oval features. Alessia had forgotten that her own skin tone was so much like her grandmother's. Even her eyes had light green at the edges of her irises, blending with the light brown.

Alessia looked back at her own reflection, her face still impassive. She was smiling widely back at herself. She noticed another figure - a familiar one.

Alessia turned on her heel, leaving Harry to stand alone. Ron stepped up. "I don't see anything," he said. Alessia was leaning against the wall, her eyes expressing grievous pain, and sank to the floor. She stifled a sneeze, now looking rather frustrated.

"Look!" Harry beckoned. "Look at them all… there are loads of them…. "

"I only see you."

"Go," Harry said. "Look in it properly." He stepped aside. "There. You see them don't you?"

"That's me!" Ron declared. "Only I'm Head Boy, and I'm holding the Quidditch Cup. And bloody hell! I'm Quidditch Captain too."

Ron tore his eyes away from the mirror to look at Harry, his face in a wide grin.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it?" Alessia whispered just loud enough so that her voice carried to the boys. "Harry's family is dead. So are my dad and grandma."

"Let me have another look!" Harry demanded. Alessia stood up, looking in the direction of the door.

"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time," Ron said loudly.

"You're only holding the Quidditch Cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents!"

"Don't push me!"

"Shut up!" Alessia hissed in a low voice. "Someone's in the corridor outside." She grabbed the Cloak. "Quick! Under here!"

The boys slipped under it just as Mrs. Norris rounded the corner. They all stood still, wondering the same thing. Did the Cloak work on cats? The feline paused before them, staring. Then she left.

Ron let out a sigh of relief. Harry reminded them, "She might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us."

"This isn't safe - we have to go," Alessia stressed. "Come on."

She and Ron pulled Harry from the room.


	15. Chapter 15

That night was a sleepless one for Alessia. The thing she didn't understand about the mirror was the inscription at the top. Early in the morning, she rose and took out parchment and a quill and ink. Sitting on her bed, she copied the phrase down.

 _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

She stared at it. Harry had told her and Ron that he assumed it was an ancient dead language. Looking for any Latin phrases or Ancient Greek words or Ancient Roman anything, she pondered over it for at least an hour before giving up.

Finally tired, she placed the parchment into the box her mother gave her for Christmas and magically locked it with a spell. Replacing the quill and ink back in their spots in her nightstand, she pulled the covers over herself to sleep.

When she did wake, she spent the rest of the day reading in a secluded corner in the common room. Alessia wasn't the only one bothered by the mirror. Harry was aloof and declined doing everything with Ron, from playing chess to visiting Hagrid.

The next day, Harry behaved differently. Risking being yelled at to go away or ignored completely, Harry approached Alessia to tell her Professor Dumbledore had been in the room with the mirror when we visited in the night before.

"Dumbledore was there the night we went together too," Harry informed Alessia. She just stared at him. "Don't be angry, but I know why you saw your grandma and dad."

"He told you what the mirror does?" Alessia said finally after examining Harry's face for a moment.

"He said it shows us the deepest desires of our hearts."

Alessia stood up suddenly and her book and blanket fell to the floor. Running up the stairs, she left Harry looking at her in befuddlement. After grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill and ink, she returned to the common room and sank back into her seat. Harry handed her book back. Using it as a flat surface, she looked at the phrase again.

"It's not a dead language!" Alessia whispered. "Look."

 _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

"Erised - it's 'desire' backwards."

Deciphering the line, she wrote the meaning of the inscription. "I show not your face, but your heart's desire."

The message sank in and Alessia's brow furrowed. "What?" Harry asked.

"It's just… something I saw didn't make sense."

Alessia was left pensive over the things she saw in the mirror for the rest of the holidays, but a twist to her recurring dream was added the night before Hermione was set to return to Hogwarts:

She was staring into the eyes of a very pale and gaunt Draco Malfoy as a familiar voice cackled from a dark corner in the room. Bleeding from her wounds, she strained against the ropes that bound her and a pained whine escaped her lips. Calling out the name of the figure in the shadows, Alessia begged for help while Draco sneered and told her she belonged there.

Jumping awake, Alessia groaned and mumbled incoherently as she laid back down and rolled over. The sun was just about to peek above the mountains, so she reckoned she'd just get out of bed.

Pulling on an olive green jumper and charcoal grey jeans, she left the room to read in the common room again. Having neared the end of _Sense and Sensibility_ , her mind had been filled about loss of friendships and being lonely without being alone. The Gryffindor Tower door was just closing when a familiar face rounded the corner.

"Alessia!" Hermione cried, running to embrace her friend.

"Bloody hell, Granger," Alessia grumbled. "I just woke up. Give me a moment, will you?"

Without letting go of her roommate, Hermione giggled.

"All right," Alessia said, overwhelmed by the affection. "Please let me go."

Hermione gave her one last squeeze and complied. "Mind helping me with my trunk?"

Tucking her book under her arm and tossing her blanket over her shoulder, Alessia took her wand out of her pocket. " _Wingardium Leviosa!_ "

Hermione gave her a look of mixed embarrassment and appreciation.

"It's like you forgot you're a witch." Alessia chuckled slightly.

Following the trunk up the stairs, Hermione and Alessia proceeded to their room and the luggage landed lightly on the floor next to their beds. Kneeling down to unpack, Hermione cleared her throat. Alessia sat down on her bed cross-legged and opened her book to where she left off. Hermione cleared her throat again.

"Need a lozenge, Granger?" Alessia asked.

"What?" Hermione responded. "No… um…. It's just-"

"Spit it out. What is it?"

"I was just thinking - you never told me why what Ron said upset you so much."

Alessia sighed. Closing her book, she said, "I guess I did promise you I would tell you."

Hermione pivoted around to face her and sat on the edge of her bed. "I reckon it would be best to talk about it now before anyone else returns for the start of the new term."

"I agree," Alessia hesitated. "You remember that Ron said that Slytherin spits out rotten witches and wizards?" Hermione nodded. "Well…" she paused again. Exhaling, she continued, "Most of my family have been in Slytherin."

Hermione's eyes widened a little. "I mean, I had my suspicions, but I wasn't entirely sure."

"All of my dad's family were in Gryffindor, but they're all dead, so…."

Piecing the statements together, Hermione observed the implications. "So you don't know why you're in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin," she finished.

The other witch shifted her weight uncomfortably and sighed heavily. "I grew up thinking I'd be a Slytherin like my mum, but I got up there and I just-"

Hermione just watched Alessia look down at the floor.

Continuing to stare at the wooden slats, Alessia's eyes were beginning to well up. "My mum sends me letters every week wanting to know if I've lived up to the legacy my dad left behind." Her voice cracked with the next thing she said, "I mean, she never puts it _that_ way, but I know what she's getting at." Alessia paused, taking a deep breath. "I keep getting these nightmares every time I feel like I don't belong here. It's like my brain is telling me I'm weak and I feel pain because I don't deserve this."

Getting up and setting herself next to Alessia, Hermione put her arm around her friend. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, unable to find the words to truly reassure Alessia that she did belong. "I read about the magic behind the Sorting Hat," Hermione said finally. "The Founders bewitched it with powers that allow it to see a person's potential and personality and attitudes about wizardry - it's more than what someone feels about themselves. It's about how they see others and how they view the world."

Alessia's eyes were still wet with tears. She looked at her friend. "Thanks, Granger," she said. She sighed. "I think that's enough heart-to-heart stuff. I didn't sleep well last night. Mind staying up here with me while I nap? It's been lonely in here."

"Sure."

With the comfort of company she trusted, Alessia had a restful sleep. Later that day, Hermione and Alessia joined the boys in the common room. Harry shared a dream he had had about his parents disappearing with a flash of green light and a high cackling voice.

"You see," Ron said. "Dumbledore was right. That mirror could drive you mad!"

Having been filled in about the series of events, Hermione was baffled by the potential of punishment for wandering about the castle during the night - three nights in a row.

"It's too bad you couldn't find out about Nicolas Flamel," she added in defeat.

They had almost given up completely on ever finding out who the man was. Harry and Alessia had begun Quidditch practices again with the start of the new term. Wood worked the team harder than before - even the rain didn't stop his overenthusiastic nature. Even though the Weasley twins complained that Wood was being too excessive with his demands, Harry and Alessia saw the reasons why. If the Gryffindors won the match against Hufflepuff, they would surely overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years. Apart from that, Harry confessed to Alessia that he had less nightmares when he was tired from the training. "Likewise," she had told him.

During one particularly muddy practice, Wood gave the team a piece of bad news. This was immediately following him yelling at the Weasleys for dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their broomsticks.

"Will you stop messing around?!" he shouted. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing!"

George Weasley really did topple off the side of his broom at these words. As Alessia landed to help him up, he sputtered through a mouthful of mud, " _Snape's_ refereeing? When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to George, joining him in complaining and protesting.

"It's not my fault," Wood said frustratedly. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean games, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

Alessia looked at Harry, her face full of concern. His expression mirrored hers. "C'mon," he told her, pulling her away from the rest of the team as they hung back. "I want to tell Ron and Hermione."

Covered in mud, Harry and Alessia stepped through the portrait hole to see the other two playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione lost at, to Harry and Ron's pleasure.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him. Alessia pulled up a chair next to Hermione. "I need to concen-" Ron stopped short when he saw Harry's face. "What's the matter? You look terrible."

"Snape's refereeing the next game," Alessia said softly not to draw the attention of others in the room.

Ron and Hermione looked at her in disbelief. "Don't play," Hermione said to Harry.

"Say you're ill," Ron added.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

" _Really_ break your leg," said Ron.

"You want him to get killed by someone other than Snape?" Alessia said sinisterly. "Because that's how you get Wood to murder him."

Ron made a face between a grimace and scowl at her. He opened his mouth to reply, but Harry spoke first, "She's right. I can't do that. There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"You've played as Seeker, haven't you?" Hermione asked Alessia.

"Yeah, but only casually," Alessia scoffed. "I've been training as a Chaser. There's no way I could take Harry's place."

At that moment, Neville toppled into the common room. It was a miracle since his legs were bound by a Leg-Locker Curse. He had to have bunny-hopped all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

Everyone was laughing except Hermione and Alessia. Hermione leapt up to perform the countercurse as Alessia frowned from her seat. Neville's legs sprang apart and got his feet under himself, trembling.

"What happened?" Alessia asked as Hermione led him to sit with their group.

"Malfoy," Neville replied shakily. "I ran into him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

Alessia growled. Hermione waved at her with a dismissive hand. "Go to Professor McGonagall!" she urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head. "I don't want any more trouble," he mumbled.

"Well, if you won't," Alessia snarled angrily. "I'll just teach him a lesson."

"You know that won't help things," Hermione reminded her. Alessia grumbled irritably.

"You've got to start standing up for yourself, Neville," Ron said. "He's used to walking all over people, but there's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

'There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor," Neville choked out. Alessia cleared her throat in mild discomfort. "Malfoy's already done that."

Harry handed a Chocolate Frog to him and Neville looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," he told Neville. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

Alessia shifted in her seat slightly. Hermione patted her arm as Neville's lips broke into a small, weak smile. He unwrapped the frog. "Thanks, Harry… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card? You collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Alessia's eyes followed him as he ascended the stairs.

"Dumbledore again," Harry said. Alessia broke her gaze to look at the card as he tossed it away.

She picked it up. "Wait…." she paused, reading the back of the card. "Look!"

Alessia handed it back to Harry. "Here he is!" he gasped. "Listen: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and _his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel_ '!"

"I knew I read the name before!" Alessia murmured.

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked this excited since they'd gotten back their grades for their first piece of homework. "Stay here!" she commanded. Harry and Ron exchanged mystified looks. Alessia stared after her, wondering what the bloody hell had gotten into her. She had barely finished the thought before Hermione returned, dashing over with an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" Hermione whispered excitedly, slamming the book onto the table. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"This is _light_?" Ron asked. Hermione gave him a harsh look and he went quiet. She flipped through the pages frantically until she found what she was looking for.

"Here it is!" she announced. "Nicolas Flamel is the _only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone_!" Hermione recited in a low and dramatic voice.

Alessia gasped softly, realizing whatever lay under the trapdoor must be related to the Gringotts break-in. The other two didn't respond the same way.

"The what?" Harry and Ron said.

"Oh," Alessia scoffed. " _Honestly_ , don't you two _read_?"

"The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers," Hermione read to them. "It can transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."

" _Immortal?_ " Ron repeated.

"It means you'll never die," Alessia told him.

"I know what it means!" Ron hissed.

Harry shushed him as Hermione continued, "The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday."

Harry and Ron gaped.

" _That's_ what Fluffy's guarding," Alessia whispered emphatically. "The Philosopher's Stone!"

"I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him," Hermione said. "They're friends! He must've known someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"Of course," Harry said. "A stone that makes gold and stops you from dying! No wonder Snape's after it! _Anyone_ would want it."

Alessia frowned. "I still don't think that _he's_ trying to steal it."

"How can you be so bloody naive?" Ron snapped. "Of course he is."

Huffing angrily, Alessia stormed off to her dormitory, ripping off her Quidditch robes as she went.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, after copying down treatments of werewolf bites during Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry told Ron, Hermione, and Alessia that he would be playing in the Quidditch game against Hufflepuff.

"I don't want all the Slytherins to think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… it'll really wipe the smirks off their faces if we win."

"And," Alessia told him, "if Malfoy tries anything, I'll show him how the Leg-Locker Curse is _really_ supposed to work."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," Hermione said to Harry, grimacing slightly at the premonition of a confrontation between Alessia McKinnon and Draco Malfoy.

As the match drew neared, Harry felt increasingly more nervous and rest of the team became more restless. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the House Championship was wonderful, but how would they successfully do that with Professor Snape as referee? Even Alessia was sure that it was going to be a biased game.

Harry was fidgety all day before the match. When Ron, Hermione, and Alessia left him at the locker rooms, they wished him good luck.

"Just be careful," Alessia said as Hermione hugged him. "Okay, Potter?"

"Of course."

Ron, Hermione, and Alessia shuffled into the stands next to Neville. They had brought their wands with them to the game. When Alessia had threatened to Leg-Lock Malfoy if he tried to bully Harry, Hermione had gotten the idea for them to practice the Curse in case Snape tried something. Ron was ready to do that in a flash, but Alessia was more hesitant and reluctant. The man did cure her allergy after all.

"Now, don't forget," Hermione muttered to Ron. "It's _Locomotor Mortis_."

"I know!" Ron snapped. "Merlin… don't nag."

Alessia had her binoculars as usual. She was scanning the crowd. " _Dumbledore_ is here!"

"What?!" Hermione gasped.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron told the girls. "Look - they're off. Ouch!"

Someone had poked Ron hard in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

Ron didn't answer and Alessia rolled her eyes so much that the brown color disappeared from them for a moment. Professor Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him. Having seen this before, Malfoy sneered at them while Alessia gulped nervously.

Hermione had her fingers crossed in her lap and watched Harry, who was circling the pitch like a bird of prey, hunting for the Snitch.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Malfoy said loudly several minutes later as Snape awarded another penalty to Hufflepuff for no apparent reason. "It's all the people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville went bright red. Alessia turned to face Malfoy. "Well," she said, an eyebrow raised. He pointedly looked ahead. "If you want to use that logic, you should be on the team too, _Draco_. Seeing as you've got no redeeming qualities to make your father proud."

Malfoy was gaping, his grey eyes locked with Alessia's light brown ones, when Neville plucked up some courage to face Malfoy himself. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," Longbottom stammered.

Crabbe and Goyle cackled menacingly, but Malfoy was still trying to recover his usual demeanor after Alessia's comment.

"You tell them, Neville," Ron said without taking his eyes off the game.

Malfoy finally regained his composure. "Longbottom," he said. "If brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Ron looked as if he was about to commit murder. "I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word!"

Alessia stood up to confront Malfoy, but Hermione pulled her sleeve. "What?"

"Harry-!" Hermione exclaimed.

They watched as Harry took a spectacular dive, which caused the crowd to gasp and cheer. Joining Alessia, Hermione stood up, her fingers still crossed and in her mouth. Harry streaked towards the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

Alessia whipped around, her wand drawn, pointed between Draco's eyes. Before she could curse him, Ron lunged at him, tackling Malfoy. He was on top of Malfoy and there were many scuffles and yelps before Alessia pulled Crabbe and Goyle off of Neville. They tried to lunge at her instead, but she raised her wand at them threateningly. Neville was out cold. Hermione was squealing loudly and hugging Pavarti Patil.

"Alessia! Ron!" she shouted. "The game's over! Harry caught the Snitch! Gryffindor is in the lead!"

The Gryffindors flooded the field. Alessia, still fueled by adrenaline, stayed back in her spot. She watched Snape spit bitterly onto the field. Harry was being lifted onto the shoulders of a few Gryffindors. Alessia watched from a distance, observing Hermione jumping up and down, Ron cheering despite his nosebleed.

After alerting Professor McGonagall of Neville's state, Alessia departed and strolled into the castle, avoiding the excitement of the celebrations. Trotting through the corridors, she ended up near the kitchens, deep in thought.

"Alessia?" George was holding an armful of cakes.

She looked up, stunned. Fred rounded the corner before she could respond. "Oh," he said. "Hey, McKinnon." He shifted a little, balancing more stolen food. "Wait," Fred turned his head to George. "Did you just call her 'Alessia'?"

"Yeah." George shrugged. "So?"

Fred smirked in amusement, his eyes gleaming, and his brother flushed bright pink for reasons unknown to Alessia. She raised a curious eyebrow at them as Fred adjusted the many treats in his arms. Nodding to the pile, he said, "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Alessia chuckled, still wondering what was going on between these Weasley brothers. "Why would I tell? I assume you're bringing those back to Gryffindor Tower anyway."

"Never miss a beat, do you, McKinnon?"

"Of course not." Mischievously, she eyed the cakes in Fred's grip. Alessia stepped slowly towards the twins.

"Did you see Harry catch the Snitch?" George asked as she drew nearer.

"No," Alessia replied. "I was pulling Crabbe and Goyle off of Longbottom so they didn't kill him. Did you see your brother's nose?"

"I was wondering what happened to it," Fred said, glancing at his twin, then back at Alessia. "Thought it might've been you, actually." Taking the opportunity of the distraction, she rushed forward and grabbed a cake off the pile in his arms. "Hey!"

The twins chased her all the way back to the common room. Breathlessly, she uttered the password and the Weasleys stumbled forward, sniggering. After depositing the cakes and other sweets on a table, they collapsed onto the steps leading to the dormitories. Alessia's eyes darted around the room searching for Harry and Hermione. The latter was chattering happily with Pavarti Patil and Ron.

"Blimey," Fred said, still panting. "Remind me not to lower my guard around you ever again."

Alessia tore her attention from her friend and looked blankly at Fred. "Don't lower your guard around me ever again," she repeated a little dryly.

George chuckled when Fred groaned and rolled his eyes. Alessia smiled genuinely for the first time since Christmas Day. Her face fell almost immediately when she saw Harry. Pushing herself to her feet, she approached him.

"Potter, what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you in a bit. Help me find the others," said Harry, his eyes darting around the room.

Pulling aside Hermione, Alessia returned to find Harry stepping up next to Ron.

"Harry, where have you _been_?" Hermione squealed.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still knocked out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin!"

Alessia groaned softly and transitioned it to a clear of her throat. "Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens. But why are you acting like a cat on hot bricks?" she asked.

"Let's find an empty room," Harry said.

Making sure that Peeves wasn't inside, they followed Harry into an unused classroom before shutting the door behind them.

"I saw Snape walking off into the Forbidden Forest," Harry began. "I was putting my broom back in the locker rooms, so I followed him and watched him from a tree. He was meeting Professor Quirrell! Snape asked him if he knew how to get past the three-headed dog." Harry paused, catching his breath. "So we were right, it _is_ the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying force Quirrell to help him get it. He said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus'."

"There must be loads of enchantments or something besides the dog to protect the Stone," Alessia said. "Bet Quirrell put up some Defense spells."

"So Snape would need to break those," Harry responded.

The others continued as Alessia frowned. "So the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione asked in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday."


	17. Chapter 17

Turns out Harry had underestimated Quirrell's ability to stand up to Professor Snape. In the halls, Harry often gave Quirrell encouraging smiles and Ron had begun to retaliate when people mocked at the Defense professor for his stutter. When passing the third floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears against the door to listen for Fluffy. Alessia often rolled her eyes at this while waiting for them. One day, while staring at Professor Quirrell during Defense Against the Dark Arts, Alessia noticed that the man had become paler and thinner, but something beyond that seemed off. He seemed to be steadier, holding himself with an air of what seemed like determination.

Beyond the group's worries about the Stone, Hermione had begun to nag the boys about studying for the end-of-the-year exams. Alessia was unable to escape the reminders as Persephone had begun to send her daily letters. Poor Altheda the White-Faced Owl was so clearly exhausted that Alessia told her to go to the owlery to rest. The bird nuzzled the girl's hand appreciatively before taking off.

Easter holidays were anything but fun. The teachers had piled on so much homework that Harry and Ron whined and moaned about it, but they still accompanied Hermione and Alessia to the library to try to keep up with the work.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing his quill down in frustration.

The frail McKinnon owl was tapping at the window. As Ron went over to it to let Altheda in, he looked longingly at the beautiful day outside. It was the first one they'd had in months.

Taking the letter from her mother's owl, Alessia let out a heavy and frustrated sigh. "I swear to Merlin that if she keeps this up, I'm going to-"

"What?" Hermione asked. Alessia had stopped short of finishing her sentence.

"Nothing!" Alessia blurted out, stuffing the letter into her bag. "Just more stuff about exams… but her bothering me isn't making it easier."

The inner turmoil she felt was _not_ going to make exams something routine. Alessia had always been a decent student, but her mother's constant demands to know how she was doing with her preparations were just causing her more anxiety and distress.

Alessia stared absently at Harry who was looking up "Dittany" in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_. She was chewing on her lip nervously and missed Harry asking her a question.

"What?" she asked, still distracted.

"You okay?" Harry repeated. "You haven't finished studying and I think Altheda is waiting for you to write a reply."

The owl had been pecking her hand gently. "Oh."

Tugging a spare bit of parchment out of her bag, she picked up her quill and scribbled a response. Alessia asked her grandfather to tell her mother to stop sending so many letters - Altheda would surely die if Persephone persisted.

After carrying the owl to the window, Alessia stared out the window for a moment, pondering the news she had just received, before Ron announced Hagrid's presence. She turned around just as the gamekeeper rounded the corner. He was hiding something behind his back. With the heat, it was a wonder why he was still wearing his moleskin overcoat.

"Jus' lookin'," he said in a shifty voice that made the group give him curious looks. "What're you lot up ter?" Hagrid narrowed his eyes at them. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

Ron straightened up. "Oh, we found him ages ago," he said a little loudly. " _And_ we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St-"

" _Shhhhhh!_ " Alessia interrupted him. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Do you want the whole world to know?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you," Harry told Hagrid. "What else is protecting the Stone besides Fluffy?"

"SHHHHHH!" Hagrid quieted him. "Listen - come an' see me later. I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here. Students aren' supposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh-"

"We'll see you later then," said Harry and Hagrid shuffled off out of sight.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione asked the others.

Ron dashed to the section Hagrid had left from and returned with a pile of books.

Alessia read the titles. " _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_ and _From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon Keeper's Guide_. What's he need these for?"

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon," Harry whispered to her. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."

"It's against the law," said Ron in a matter-of-fact tone. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden."

"Congratulations, Weasley," Alessia said in an almost cruel voice. "If the exams are on 'History of Dragons', you'll actually make it to second year."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Ron hissed.

"You _really_ need me to translate that for you?"

" _Stop!_ " Harry demanded. "You two are supposed to be friends."

" _Are_ we?" Alessia snapped. "Every chance he gets, he insults my family. He's worse than Malfoy sometimes."

"How dare you?!" Ron said loudly, earning him a death glare from Madam Pince, the librarian.

Alessia scoffed angrily. "You all can go see Hagrid. Just leave me out of it."

Slamming her books shut and stuffing her parchment and quill into her bag, she stormed out of the library.

"Any idea what that was about?" Harry asked Hermione.

"None."

For the rest of Easter holidays, Alessia was short-tempered and aloof. Her patience was tested even when Hermione informed her that some of the teachers were involved in protecting the Stone.

"Hagrid said Professors Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape assisted Professor Dumbledore with the protections," Hermione told Alessia in a timid voice, hoping that a few days would have cooled her friend's hot temper.

Alessia had simply ignored her and continued to flip through the pages of the book in front of her. With a sad sigh, Hermione left.

The next day, Hermione approached Alessia's bed with a determined stance. "Look," she said to Alessia, who was still lying down with her back to Hermione. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's not worth shutting everyone out." Alessia flipped onto her back and looked at Hermione with distressed eyes. "The least you can do is come to breakfast with us. You don't even have to say anything to anyone. Just come with us."

Alessia stared at the ceiling for about a minute before rolling out of bed and pulling out her uniform. When they arrived to the Great Hall, Hermione began to lecture Harry and Ron about not sticking to their study schedules.

After staring at the food on her plate for about fifteen minutes, Harry's owl, Hedwig, dropped a note in front of them from Hagrid.

Ron tried to convince Hermione to skip Herbology so they could go straight down to the gamekeeper's hut. "How many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"So that's why he was looking at those books," Alessia thought to herself. Luckily Hermione wasn't having it.

"We have lessons - we'll get into trouble, but that's nothing compared to what Hagrid'll get if someone finds out what he's doing-"

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Alessia looked up to see Malfoy only a few feet away. He must've stopped to try to listen. The look on his face confirmed that he heard _something_. Ignoring Ron and Hermione bickering all the way down to Herbology, Alessia trotted behind them, her long, wavy hair in her face the whole time. In the end, Hermione only agreed to go to Hagrid's hut if Alessia went along. The boys had accepted her apathetic shrug as a yes, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest as Alessia trailed a few strides back.

Hagrid greeted them with a flushed and excited face. "It's nearly out," he informed them.

Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew chairs up to the table where a large bronze-brown egg sat. There were deep cracks in it and something was moving inside and making clicking noises. Alessia took a seat in a corner, facing the window.

Just as she had sat down, there was a crackling sound and the egg split open. A baby dragon flopped onto the table. It clumsily turned, flipping pieces of the shell onto the floor. The dragon was spiny and grey and brown. It had stubby horns and the ridge along its back and down its tail was sort of blue. It was not very pretty.

"Isn't he _beautiful_?" Hagrid exclaimed. Alessia gave him a look of disbelief. Hagrid reached out to pet the dragon as the creature slipped towards him. "Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy." Hagrid tickled its neck. It sneezed and a couple of sparks flew out of its mouth. "Hello, Norbert."

"Hagrid," Hermione said. "How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

"I-" Hagrid began.

"Shh!" Alessia said suddenly, jumping up from her seat. "Someone was at the window."

She bolted to the door and recognized the departing figure almost immediately.

"Bloody hell," Alessia muttered.

"Who was it?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione often spent their free time at Hagrid's place in the following week trying to convince him to get rid of the dragon. One day at breakfast, Alessia addressed Ron for the first time since Easter holidays.

"Weasley," she said and he raised a skeptical and slightly shocked eyebrow at her. "Don't you have a brother in Romania that works with dragons?"

Ron simply gaped at her. Recovering, he said, "Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Wood mentioned him once. Couldn't Hagrid send the dragon there?"

"I'll ask him. If he says yes, we'll try to get Hagrid to agree."

The week dragged on and on the next Wednesday night, Harry, Hermione, and Alessia were sitting in the common room alone. Everyone else had long since gone to bed. The clock had just finished chiming, indicating it was midnight, when the portrait hole opened and Ron appeared, slipping off the Invisibility Cloak.

"It bit me!" he exclaimed, showing the others his hand. "Remind me not to help feed Norbert. He's eating crate-fulls of rats now. I tell you, that dragon's the worst animal I've ever met. But, blimey, the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think that it was a fluffy little bunny. When it bit me, he told _me_ off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby." Ron groaned, adjusting the bloody handkerchief wrapping his wounded hand. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week."

"Weasley," Alessia said. "Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Let me heal it."

Ron placed his bloody hand in her outstretched palm and she proceeded to recite a simple healing spell.

"How do you know this stuff anyway?" he asked her.

"When you have friends like Malfoy growing up, you tend to get into plenty of fights. His mum always healed us," Alessia responded. "Obviously, I'm not going to be as good as she was. I'm no Narcissa Malfoy."

Ron opened his mouth to respond, but changed his mind and watched the blood stop seeping out of the bite. She was still working on it when a tap interrupted her.

"It's Hedwig!" said Harry. He rushed to the window to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

Ron started fidgeting. "Weasley-" Alessia complained.

"Sorry," he said. "I just want to know what my brother said."

"It's fine," Alessia sighed. "I can't really do much more than that."

They huddled around the table to read the note.

 _Dear Ron,_

 _How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

 _Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._

 _Send me an answer as soon as possible._

 _Love, Charlie_

"That's great!" Hermione exclaimed. "Now we just have to convince Hagrid."

"I mean, if we tell him it's already set up and that it can't be undone," Alessia said. "He'd have to do it."

"Sounds a like what a Slytherin might-"

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm to stop him. "Just do it," she hissed at him. "It's true. It'd be a hassle to cancel the whole thing."

The next day, Ron still had to go to Madam Pomfrey. Despite healing the wound enough to stop the bleeding, Alessia hadn't noticed that Norbert's fangs were poisonous, which turned Ron's skin a horrible green color around the bite overnight. When Harry, Hermione, and Alessia visited him in the Hospital Wing, Ron told them about how Malfoy had visited to "borrow one of his books" and threatened to tell Madam Pomfrey what really bit him.

"I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match," Ron told them in a glum tone. "That's why he's doing this."

"Oi!" Alessia exclaimed, earning her looks of shock and curiosity from the others. "He's a git. Always has been. No matter what you did, I guarantee that he would still be doing this."

"I thought he used to be your best friend," Harry said, looking a little bothered that she would say something derogatory about someone who had been a friend.

" _Exactly_ ," Alessia said. " _Used to be_. As in, not anymore. Besides, we're getting rid of the dragon on Saturday at midnight."

"Saturday at midnight!" Ron said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no… oh _no_. I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took. Now he's going to know when it's happening."

Before the others could get a chance to say anything, Madam Pomfrey appeared, dismissing them, saying Ron needed sleep.

It was too late to change the plan. They did have the Invisibility Cloak though, so they decided to risk it. When Harry, Hermione, and Alessia told Hagrid about Charlie agreeing to take the dragon, he teared up a little as he nodded, but that may have been, in part, because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg. The dragon was getting too conspicuous, so they left feeling as if Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.


	18. Chapter 18

Too anxious to really feel sorry for Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, and Alessia departed the hut, after the gamekeeper bade his baby dragon goodbye, a little later than they'd have liked. Peeves had been playing tennis in the entrance hall, which prevented them from leaving.

Hagrid had set Norbert up with a handful of rats, brandy, and a teddy bear inside a large crate. Before the young Gryffindors hurried off into the dark, cloudy night, the dragon had already ripped off the stuffed toy bear's head. Harry covered the crate and his friends with his Cloak and they were relieved it was just a millimeter off the ground as the went. They hadn't been sure it would cover all of them.

It was a miracle that they managed to get the crate back up the rocky slope to the castle. Floor after floor, they heaved the dragon to the corridor beneath the tallest tower. Harry's shortcut barely made things easier.

"Nearly there!" Harry panted.

A sudden movement almost made them drop the crate in fear. Despite being invisible, they froze and moved into the shadows quietly.

Two dark silhouettes were grappling - one much taller than the other. A lamp brightened the hall to reveal Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe, dragging Malfoy by the ear as he struggled against her hold.

"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering about the castle in the middle of the night - how _dare_ you-"

"But you don't understand, Professor!" Malfoy protested. "Harry Potter's coming - he's got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - we're going to see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

The steep spiral staircase seemed like the easiest thing in the world to them after that - Harry had a huge grin on his face while Alessia looked as if she'd smelled a dung bomb. It wasn't until they felt the cold air in their lungs that Harry pulled the Cloak off them and danced a little.

"Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Alessia nearly snapped. Draco may be her _former_ best friend and may be a git, but she didn't ever wish ill upon him.

Hermione was chuckling at Malfoy and Harry commenced making a few jokes about the Slytherin to Alessia's mild displeasure. After about ten minutes of Norbert thrashing about in his cage, four broomsticks touched down in the dark beside them.

The cheery lot of Charlie's friends had put together a harness to suspend the dragon between them. Harry, Hermione, and Alessia helped them buckle Norbert in, shook hands and thanked them profusely before Charlie's friends took off flying again.

Harry, Hermione, and Alessia watched as they went. Going… going… and… gone.

Relieved to be rid of the dragon, Alessia trudged down the steps without waiting for the others. Nothing seemed to be able to ruin their happiness, until-

Alessia reached the foot of the stairs and froze at the sight before her. Harry and Hermione bumped into her, having been chortling and looking at each other while they did so. Filch's face loomed at them out of the darkness.

"Well, well, well. We _are_ in trouble."

"How could you be so _stupid_?" Alessia hissed at Harry as they approached Professor McGonagall's study. "How could you forget the Cloak?"

It was bad enough that they had been caught leaving the tallest Astronomy tower, which was prohibited except for classes. But things got worse. The Transfiguration teacher arrived with Neville beside her.

"Harry!" Neville blurted as soon as he saw the other three. "I was trying to find you! I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you because you had a drag-"

Harry shook his head furiously, trying to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked ready to breathe fire at them as she towered above the four students.

"I never would have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning! _Explain yourselves_."

It seemed the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. Alessia was likewise standing quietly. It was the first time she couldn't bring herself to meet the eyes of her favorite Hogwarts professor.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," Professor McGonagall said finally, breaking the silence. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it too?"

Alessia glanced up at Professor McGonagall with sad, remorseful eyes.

"I'm disgusted," she continued. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You two," Professor McGonagall pointed, gesturing at Hermione and Alessia, "Miss Granger and Miss McKinnon… I am sorely disappointed - I thought you had more sense than this. As for you, Mr. Potter," the Transfiguration teacher said, looking at Harry, "I thought Gryffindor meant more to you. All four of you will receive detention - yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom. _Nothing_ gives you the right to walk around the school at night, especially these days - it's very dangerous. Forty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

" _Forty?_ " Harry gasped.

" _Each_."

One hundred sixty points lost for helping Hagrid get rid of a bloody dragon.

Many of the Gryffindors noticed the many points they had lost overnight, thinking it was a mistake. Famous Harry Potter was now the most hated student - even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had turned on him. No one would speak to Neville, and Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in classes. Luckily for Alessia, no one really knew her either except for being the other girl that was with Harry Potter the night Gryffindor lost their lead over Slytherin. Everywhere she went, even with her face covered by her hair, students took notice of her - they would often point and jeer. With her anxiety and melancholy worse than ever, Alessia had stopped spending time around Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She never even went to Quidditch practices anymore. The only person she could bear to be around was Nikos. It was like the beginning of the year when she had no friends and felt like she didn't belong. These feelings were stronger than ever before.

Alessia never went to meals and simply snuck food from the kitchens when she actually was hungry. One day in their usual quiet corner, Nikos looked up at his sister who was hiding behind her curtain of dark blonde strands. She was sniffling. Their mother had just sent a letter to Alessia, furious that she had not only gotten into so much trouble, but had apparently quit Quidditch too.

"Hey," Nikos said, nudging her gently.

Alessia sniffed again.

"Okay," her brother said. "I know better than to ask you what's going on with you because I know you're not going to tell me. I'm not angry at you about the points lost - I don't care what mum says either. You're going to be fine."

With her face still hidden, Alessia placed her homework assignments into her books and shoved them into her bag, hurrying out of the library. "I've got detention tonight," she muttered to Nikos. Still sniffling and looking at her feet, she walked right into Harry who was standing outside of a classroom.

"Potter!" she gasped. "I-"

"Shh!" Harry replied. "I think Quirrell is inside with Snape."

The next second, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor rushed into the corridor looking as if he was about to burst into tears.

"C'mon," Harry told Alessia. "Hermione and Ron are in the common room."

When they arrived inside the Gryffindor Tower, Harry told the others what he had heard as Alessia sat with her knees to her chest in an armchair. The others reckoned Professor Snape had all the information he needed to get the Stone. Alessia tried her best to ignore them. At eleven o'clock that night, they made their way to the entrance hall. Harry seemed to have forgotten Malfoy had received detention too, judging by the expression on his face.

"Follow me," Filch told Harry, Hermione, Alessia, Neville, and Malfoy. He lit a lamp and led them outside.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking the school rules again, won't you?" he leered at them. "It's a pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time when detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. Blimey, I miss the screaming."

As they made their way across the grounds, the moon shone bright through the lingering clouds that cast shadows, leaving them in the dark. When they reached Hagrid's hut, he said, "Abou' time. I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, you three?" he looked at Harry, Hermione, and Alessia.

"I wouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid," Filch told Hagrid in a cold voice. "They're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" Hagrid frowned at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot yer place ter do that. Yeh've done enough. I'll take it from here."

"I'll be back at dawn…. For what's left of them." Filch gave them a nasty grin before leaving towards the castle.

Malfoy turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he said. Harry smirked slightly at the mild panic in his tone. Alessia furrowed her brow. She felt the same way. It was, after all, called the Forbidden Forest for a reason.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid responded fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff!" Malfoy protested, his voice higher than normal. "I thought we'd be copying lines or something. There are werewolves in there! If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

"-tell yer that's how it's done at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. Alessia's eyes widened. Hagrid was a lot more intimidating when he was angry. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy gulped and glared at Hagrid. Alessia elbowed him and he dropped his gaze.

"Right then," said Hagrid. "Now, listen carefully." He told them about the dangerous task they had ahead of them. There was a unicorn that was wounded somewhere in the forest and their job was to find it and possibly take it out of its misery. They were to go with Hagrid or Fang, Hagrid's dog.

"I want Fang," Malfoy said quickly, looking at the dog's long teeth.

"All righ'," Hagrid said. "Jus' so yeh know, he's a bloody coward. Me, Hermione, and Neville'll go this way and the res' of yeh go that way. Send up green sparks if you find the poor beast or if anyone's in trouble, send up red sparks. Got it? Get goin'."

Harry frowned at the idea of having to do anything with Malfoy. Alessia followed Malfoy and Fang down the right path. They walked in silence, eying the ground. A few drops of silvery blood littered the forest floor.

"Could a werewolf do this?" Harry asked after several minutes of walking.

"No," Alessia replied, her voice was slightly shaky despite trying to sound calm. "Unicorns are fast. It's honestly a miracle that we get their hairs for wands. They move quickly and they're very temperamental if provoked. Even werewolves can't-" Alessia had been looking at Harry and walked straight into Malfoy. "Oi!" she snapped. "Keep moving. What's wrong with you?"

Malfoy's arm was pointed at a spot in the dark. His eyes were wide with alarm. Looking over, she saw a cloaked figure bent over a slain unicorn. Alessia pointed her wand at the sky and shot red sparks into the air. The creature looked up, baring blood-soaked teeth. The three students were frozen with fear. The thing swept itself to its feet, gliding slowly towards them. It locked eyes with Harry, who clapped his hand to the scar on his forehead.

Harry fell to his knees and Alessia tried to drag him with her when Malfoy screamed as he bolted in the opposite direction of the creature. Alessia grabbed hold of Malfoy's robes, stopping him so suddenly that he fell flat on his face. Fang ran into the trees. Something large jumped over them and it lunged at the creature, sending it off slithering into the woods.

"Don't be a coward!" Alessia snarled at Malfoy, aware that they may have avoided that cloaked _thing_ , but it was still too dangerous to let their guards down. "Help Potter!"

Draco froze instead, still flat on the ground. "Oh, for Merlin's sake," the girl scoffed, helping Harry to his feet. The sound of hooves were drawing nearer. Alessia sighed in relief when a centaur appeared out of the shadows after having scared that thing away.

"Thank you, sir," she told the white-blond centaur.

It studied the three students carefully, his gaze falling on Harry's scar. "Harry Potter," the centaur said. "You must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

Hagrid, Hermione, and Neville were running and stopped just short of where Alessia was standing with Harry. Fang flanked Hagrid, hiding in the giant man's shadow.

"Firenze!" a voice boomed from the trees. Two more centaurs came bursting from the trees. "What have you told him?" the black centaur demanded. "We are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

The chestnut-colored centaur pawed the forest floor nervously. "Mars is unusually bright tonight," he remarked softly.

Alessia offered Malfoy a hand. He eyed her with a mix of appreciation and skepticism, but took it, regaining a standing position.

The centaurs were rearing at each other in anger, arguing about how they are not common mules to be chasing after stray humans.

"You are interfering with what the planets have predicted!" the black centaur roared. "This could have serious consequences!"

"Do you not see that unicorn?" the centaur called Firenze bellowed at the black-haired creature. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

The black-haired beast called Bane galloped away with the chestnut centaur flanking him.

"Why was Bane so angry?" Harry asked Firenze.

The silence was so long that Alessia, Neville, and Malfoy began to shift uneasily and Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Hagrid stared at the fallen unicorn in the distance.

"Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" the white-blond centaur asked suddenly.

Alessia's eyes narrowed and Hagrid cleared his throat. "No," Harry said, sounding startled by the odd question. "We only use the horn and tail hair in potions."

"That is because it is a monstrous act to slay a unicorn," Firenze said. "The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that you will live a half-life - a cursed life - from the moment the blood touches your lips."

Malfoy began to fidget. Alessia gripped his arm, steadying him. "Stop," she hissed. "You're fine, so quit being a little twat."

Harry looked at them with a furrowed brow and then back at Firenze. "Who would choose such a life?"

"Can you really think of no one?" Alessia said.

"You mean that thing was Lord Voldemort?" Everyone but Firenze flinched at the mention of the Dark Lord.

"Do you know what's in the castle at this very moment?" Firenze asked Harry.

He nodded.

Ron had passed out in the dark common room waiting for them. Shaking him awake, Harry told him what happened.

"Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort," Harry told Ron and Hermione as Alessia sat in the corner of the room, staring at them. Hermione had asked her the whole way back where she had been since the night they sent off Norbert and why she helped Malfoy and many, many other questions. Alessia hadn't answered any of them. The truth was, she had seen the childhood friend she used to know and forgotten about most of the animosity they had shown each other throughout the year. She had always been the one to try to protect Draco from anything - except his father. It was the fear in his eyes that made her see the boy she once knew.

The past month or so had been very difficult for her and hearing Harry accuse Professor Snape again simply made things worse.

"Bane was furious," Harry was continuing. "Talking about interfering with what the planets say will happen. Bane probably thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. I suppose that's written in the stars as well. So all I've got to do now is wait for Snape to steal the Stone and then Voldemort with return and finish me off."

" _Will you stop saying his name?_ " Alessia snarled from her corner. "He didn't just kill your parents! He murdered my father and aunt and uncle and grandfather and grandmother!" Hermione turned to her with a pained expression. " _You_ are _not_ the only one who's suffered. This is so much bigger than _just_ _you_!" Alessia shouted.

Harry looked at her with a stunned and angry expression. Alessia stood up to march over to The Boy Who Lived. Her face was hard with agony and determination.

" _If_ Snape is truly involved like you think," she continued. "Do you _really_ think Dumbledore would allow him to hurt you at all? Even during a Quidditch match?"

Hermione stood up and breathed, "Of course he wouldn't."

Alessia glared hard at Harry. "I suggest you find more evidence on your _hunch_ before you accuse someone who would never be allowed to harm you," she said before storming up to her dormitory.

Lying down in her bed, she stared at the ceiling for hours before Hermione finally came up to their room. It was almost light out when the girls finally fell asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

The day of their written exams was deadly hot and even worse in the large but crowded classroom that they occupied. The students were bent over their parchments, holding quills that were charmed with an Anti-Cheating spell for this portion. In addition to their written tests, they had practical exams as well. One by one, Professor Flitwick called them in to see if they could make a pineapple dance. Professor McGonagall gave Alessia a proud smile when she was able to turn a mouse into an ornate snuffbox with profound ease. Alessia was able to manage a small grin back, but with too much on her mind about the Stone and everything else she was worried about, it didn't feel genuine. Professor Snape made them try to remember how to brew a Forgetfulness Potion for their exam. He breathed down their necks as they did so, the heat from the fire under their cauldrons making them sweat profusely.

It was a wonder to Alessia how Harry managed to get through the finals without breaking down from the pain he obviously felt. He may have tried to mask the fact that his scar caused stabbing, searing pain, but she recognized the agony behind his forced smiles and thoughtful gazes that he wore during meals and study sessions. After all, Harry wasn't the only one who tried to spare others the time in worrying about him.

"Potter," Alessia told him the day before their History of Magic exam while they studied in the library, waiting for Ron and Hermione to return with a book they needed. "I know this whole thing is bothering you more than the other two. No matter what happens," she looked at him with determination, " _we will be there for you_. I promise." She squeezed his wrist for emphasis.

"That means a lot," Harry said with a small smile. "Especially from you. I know it hasn't been easy for you."

"You mean because of what I yelled at you the other night?"

"No," Harry replied slowly. "I meant being here. I-"

He caught sight of her face. The expression on Alessia's face was made of anguish and grief and so much more that even she couldn't decipher. Before she knew it, he hugged her. "You don't have to tell me what it is," he said, his jaw nudging her shoulder as he spoke. "Just know you have people here who care about you. We'll be here when you're ready to tell us."

"I know," Alessia said, pulling herself out of the embrace. With her most of her face hidden behind her hair, she tried to leave, standing up and beginning to pack her things. Harry had grabbed her wrist before she could close one of her books.

"Please stay," he requested, staring at her with pleading eyes.

Still standing, observing where Harry held her, she fidgeted uneasily. "Okay," she said.

Cheers erupted when Professor Binns announced the end of their exams.

Stretched out on the grass, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia bathed in the bright sun. In the past few weeks, Alessia's hair had lightened just enough to give the appearance of honey despite skipping Quidditch practices and spending most of her time indoors. She stared with distant eyes out on the water, watching the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan tickle the tentacles of the giant squid that occupied the shallows as it basked in the sun.

"No more studying," Ron was sighing happily. He laid down, stretching.

Hermione was sitting on their large blanket and reviewing their exams papers.

"You could relax, you know, Hermione."

She ignored him. Alessia glanced back at Ron for a moment. Relaxing, it seemed, was something both Hermione and Alessia did not know how to do. Harry's motions caught her eye. He was rubbing his forehead where his scar was.

"You okay there, Potter?" she asked.

"I just wish I knew what this _means_!" Harry burst out frustratedly.

"I'm just glad you're finally showing that it's bothering you."

"Right," Ron scoffed. "Because you're one to talk."

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded as Alessia stood up and stormed off towards Ron's own brothers. She stopped suddenly. To the others' surprises, Alessia turned around and kneeled back down on their blanket.

"Potter?" she said. "How did Hagrid get that dragon?"

Looking very taken aback, Harry cleared his throat. "I don't know."

Standing up quickly and grabbing the blanket with them, Ron and Hermione started off towards Hagrid's hut, following Harry and Alessia who had jumped up and started sprinting. While they knew that Dumbledore would do anything to protect the stone and that he must trust Hagrid immensely, they needed to know how it was possible that some random stranger had a dragon egg in his pocket.

Hagrid was sitting on an armchair outside his door, shelling peas into a large bowl, with his trousers and sleeves rolled up. "Hullo," he greeted them with a wide, fuzzy smile. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," Ron said, but Alessia cut him off.

"No, thank you, Hagrid. We need to ask you something."

"Sure," Hagrid said, looking surprised that Alessia had addressed him without being prompted.

"Potter told me you won the egg off of a stranger," Alessia said in a mildly shaky voice. Hagrid nodded, a bit miffed that she still referred to Harry only by his last name. "What did the stranger look like?" She reckoned she had inherited her mother's Auror instincts - even if it did take her a while to put together the pieces of her observations.

"Dunno, he kept his hood up."

"What did he sound like? What did you talk about? Did Hogwarts come up?"

Alessia sounded like she was conducting an interrogation. Hagrid furrowed his bushy eyebrows at her. She'd never spoken this much in front of him before. He didn't seem to want to answer her questions either.

"Hagrid," Harry said. "Tell us, please."

Looking more reassured, Hagrid proceeded. "Told him I was gamekeeper. He kept buyin' me drinks, so I don't really remember what we talked about…. He asked me what sorta creatures I look after…. I told him I always wanted a dragon…. Then we played cards an' he offered me the egg he had if I won. Wanted to make sure I could handle it. I told him after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…."

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry pressed, seemingly catching the scent of what Alessia had a lead on.

"Sure…. How many three-headed dogs do yeh come across even if yer in the trade? I told him the trick with any beast is to know how to calm it. Told him Fluffy's a piece o' cake. Jus' play him a bit o' music an' he falls straight to sleep-"

Hagrid looked horrified at what he'd just told them. Alessia's eyes widened in great concern. She looked at the others very briefly and back at Hagrid.

"I shouldn't have said that," Hagrid muttered angrily to himself. "I should _not_ have said that."

Harry and Alessia ran ahead of Ron and Hermione. "Hey!" Hagrid yelled after them. "Where are yeh goin'?"

The students didn't utter a word until they got inside the castle. "We've got to see Dumbledore," Alessia said breathlessly once they reached the entrance hall. "If Hagrid told a stranger how to get past Fluffy, the Stone isn't safe anymore."

"We have to tell him about what else we know too," Harry said. "Let's just hope he believes us."

Rounding a corner, they walked straight into their Head of House. "Professor!" Alessia yelped. "Sorry." Professor McGonagall glanced at the short girl who had just bumped into her and then raised an eyebrow at the others.

"What're you all doing inside?" the teacher asked them.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said rather bravely - even Alessia hadn't been able to do anything besides step away from the Transfiguration teacher and stare at the floor.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," Professor McGonagall informed them. "He received an urgent call from the Ministry."

"He's _gone_?" Harry said frantically, his eyes full of worry.

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter. He has demands that-"

"Professor," Alessia interrupted. "It's really important."

"More important than the Ministry of Magic?" Professor McGonagall inquired, surveying the blonde girl in front of her.

Alessia gulped. Summoning all her strength, she told her favorite teacher the truth. "It's about the Philosopher's Stone."

The teacher gaped slightly for only a second before regaining her strict demeanor. "First of all, I don't know how you know about that. Second of all, I can assure you the Stone is perfectly well-protected."

The students exchanged worried looks.

"Now," Professor McGonagall said. "I suggest that you go back outside and enjoy the sunshine before you receive your marks for the final exams."

Standing there, watching Professor McGonagall round another corner, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alessia stared at each other.

"It's tonight," Harry said. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs to know and now that Dumbledore's gone-"

Harry stopped at the sudden change in Alessia's countenance. She had appeared worried at first then miffed, but now she wore a look of pure terror and regret.

"Good afternoon," Professor Snape said from behind Harry, a few strides away. He looked at the young Gryffindors. "You shouldn't be inside on a day like this." Alessia gave him a remorseful and worried expression when he made eye contact with her.

"We were just-" Ron began.

"Yes?"

They couldn't give him an answer.

"You'll want to be more careful," Professor Snape advised. "People will think-" Harry glared at him. "-you're up to something," the Potions Master finished slowly.

Harry continued to scowl at the teacher.

"Be careful, Potter. Any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally see to it that you are expelled. Besides, hasn't Gryffindor lost enough points?"

When Professor Snape left towards the staffroom, they concocted a plan to try to stop him. Alessia fidgeted uncomfortably at first.

"Look," she said. "I still don't think it's Professor Snape-"

"You have more loyalty to _him_ , than to us," Ron snapped. The sun was shining through the window in that corridor and gave Alessia the appearance of being on fire as she stepped closer to him.

"He saved my mother's _life_ , you _insolent wanker_ ," Alessia fumed. " _That_ is enough for me to defend him until my death." In a calmer voice, she continued, examining Ron with cold, brown eyes. "You can tell me how much you distrust him, _but my family owes him a debt we cannot repay_."

Ron's eyes widened in shock, his brows disappearing under ginger locks.

" _However_ , I do think the Stone is still in danger," Alessia continued, backing away from Ron a little. "We need to watch for _anything_ suspicious - regardless of who it is."

This was all well and good, but when Professor McGonagall found Harry and Ron outside the door to the prohibited corridor, which was part of their plan, she gave them a strict talking-to. Alessia was with Hermione, waiting outside the staffroom.

"I didn't know that about your mum," Hermione said to Alessia as they stood near the door.

"No one did," Alessia responded quietly. "I'm sure it explains a lot, but no one knew except for-"

She stopped short at the appearance of a familiar hooked nose framed by black, greasy fringe.

"What're you doing here, Miss McKinnon?"

"I - um-"

"She was waiting with me," Hermione said. "I was looking for Professor Flitwick."

Professor Snape turned around to face Hermione who was standing on the opposite side of the doorway. "He's in his classroom. Why didn't you go check there?"

Alessia cleared her throat and the Potions teacher looked back at her. "Because I also wanted to thank you," she said. Luckily for her, it wasn't a complete lie. "I realized I hadn't thanked you for helping me with my allergy."

Professor Snape twitched a skeptical eyebrow. "You're welcome," he told her. "Now, off you go. Apparently Miss Granger needs help finding Professor Flitwick." He gestured for them to leave.

Alessia moved around the Potions Master and his black robes to grab Hermione's arm. As they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room feeling defeated, the girls _did_ run into the Charms professor. The tiny teacher seemed absolutely delighted with them. Professor Flitwick told Hermione she had scored a hundred and twelve percent on the exam and that Alessia had the second highest score with just under a hundred percent. The anxiety that had been holding Alessia's muscles tense eased its grip just slightly. But they still had the Stone to worry about.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione wailed when they burst through the portrait hole. "I'm so sorry."

She told Harry and Ron what had happened and the boys told her and Alessia the lecture they had gotten from Professor McGonagall.

"Well, this has all gone to shite, hasn't it?" Alessia sighed. She watched as the color drained out of Harry's face, his eyes glittering with what looked like the faintest of tears.

"I'm going down that trapdoor tonight," he said.

"You're mad!" Ron said.

"You can't!" Hermione declared. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"

"SO WHAT?" Harry yelled. "Don't you understand? If Sn- If anyone gets the Stone for Voldemort, he'll come back! Haven't you heard about what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be a Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or more likely turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points? Getting expelled? It won't matter anymore if he gets it! Even if I get caught before I can get the Stone, well, I'll just have to wait for Voldemort to find me with the Dursleys! It's only me dying a little later because I am _not_ going over to the Dark Side! I am _not_ joining him. Voldemort killed my parents! He murdered Alessia's family! It's like she said! This is bigger than just me! Do you really think that he'd leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor won the House Cup?"

Harry Potter glared at Ron and Hermione.

"I'm going," he continued in a lowered voice. "There's nothing you can do to stop me."

"No."

They all looked at the blonde girl whose voice rang out in a steady, commanding tone.

"You remember what I told you?" Alessia said. "You're not doing this alone."

"That's right," Ron and Hermione said at slightly different times.

"We need your Cloak, Potter."


	20. Chapter 20

After dinner, they returned to the common room where no one bothered them anymore - the Gryffindors were still furious, but had stopped actively showing it. Harry and Ron sat in silence while Hermione flipped through her notes and Alessia was finally reaching the end of _Sense and Sensibility_. Slowly, the room emptied.

"Better get your Cloak," Ron muttered to Harry as Lee Jordan made his way up to his dormitory, yawning.

When Harry returned, he held the Invisibility Cloak and a flute.

"Didn't Hagrid give you that for Christmas?" Alessia pointed at the crudely hand-carved object.

"Yeah," Harry said. "Looks like it'll be a help after-"

"What're you doing?" a voice echoed from the corner of the room behind an armchair.

Neville stepped out from the shadows, holding Trevor, his toad, as the creature struggled, trying to escape once more.

"Nothing," Alessia said quickly. "Go back to bed."

Neville glared at them, guilt painted across Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's faces. Alessia was steadfast, looking calm and collected.

"You're going out again!" Neville accused them. " _Aren't_ you?"

In the corner of Alessia's eye, Harry was looking behind them at towards the door.

"Look," Harry told Neville. "You don't understand. This is important."

Neville looked like he would be standing his ground even if he really didn't want to - he was about to do something desperate to prevent them from leaving.

"I won't let you." Neville hurried to block the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll f-fight you!"

" _Neville_ ," Ron exclaimed irritably. "Get away from there and don't be an idiot."

"Don't you call me an idiot!" Neville raised his voice. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules. And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to us!" Ron sounded exasperated. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing." He took a step forward and Neville dropped his toad. It leapt out of sight.

"Go on, try and hit me!" Neville raised his fists to his face, his voice a little higher than normal. "I'm ready!"

Alessia stepped in front of Ron and Neville looked at the blonde's stone cold face, which was only one more step away from standing where he was. " _Move_ ," she commanded.

"No!" Neville's voice trembled, higher still.

"Just know I gave you a chance. And I'm _really_ sorry about this," Alessia said in a composed tone, raising her larch wand to his face. " _Petrificus Totalus!_ "

Neville's arms snapped to his sides, legs sprang together. With his body completely rigid, he swayed and fell flat on his face, stiff as a board. Alessia closed her eyes; the others grimaced.

Bending down to turn him over, Hermione looked at Neville's face, his eyes full of horror. Nothing else could express what he was feeling nor could he respond to what she said.

"You'll understand later," Hermione told him. "No time to explain. We're really sorry."

They stepped over Neville, pulling on the Invisibility Cloak. It covered all of them, but they couldn't move very fast.

"What did you do to him?" Harry asked Alessia.

"Full Body-Bind," she said in a small voice.

"You can be _really_ scary," Ron muttered. "You're like a Slytherin sometimes."

"I wish," Alessia mumbled so incoherently through clenched teeth that only Hermione heard.

"But you're in Gryffindor for a reason," Hermione reminded her.

Every statue they encountered looked like Filch to them after they left Neville lying on the floor and unable to move. Every gust of wind sounded like it was Peeves about to swoop in on them. When they came across Mrs. Norris, Ron suggested kicking her and he received a flick on the nose from Alessia instead.

When they reached the third-floor corridor, the door was already ajar.

"Well, there you have it," Harry said. "Snape's already been here."

Alessia chewed on her lip, scowling. Under the Cloak, Harry turned to them.

"Sorry," he muttered, seeing Alessia's face. "If you want to go back - any of you - I won't blame you," Harry continued, the prospect of surviving all the challenges ahead seemed to make him believe they would turn back.

Alessia raised an eyebrow at him. Ron spoke first, "Don't be stupid."

"We're coming with you," Hermione told Harry.

They pushed the door open gently; it creaked and rumbling growls reached their ears. A harp was at the dog's feet.

"It probably wakes as soon as you stop playing," Alessia said, pointing at the instrument right beside the trapdoor. "Play the flute, Potter."

He obliged and despite it not being a real melody, the dog's eyes began to droop once more and slowly, the growls ceased and it slumped to the ground, fast asleep, heads on paws.

"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they pulled off the Cloak and tiptoed to the trapdoor. The hot breaths of the dog blew onto their faces.

"It has horrible breath," Hermione grimaced, her brown bushy hair frizzy from the breeze of the dog's exhalations.

Pulling the door open, they peered at Fluffy, hoping none of the creaking was about to awaken him. Holding the door, Ron asked, "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!"

Alessia knelt down, attempting to peer into the dark for any sign of what they were about to fall on if they jumped.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Nothing." Alessia tried to keep her voice steady. "I think we have to jump."

She looked back up at the others. Harry, who was still playing the flute, pointed at himself.

"You sure?" Alessia's voice quivered, higher than normal.

Harry nodded. Handing the flute to Hermione, he lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging by his fingertips. He looked up and told them, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send a message to Dumbledore. You understand?"

The other three nodded. Harry let go and a soft thump let them know he had landed. "It's okay!" He called. "It's a soft landing."

Ron followed, letting Alessia hold the door open to go next. A loud bark let them know that Hermione had stopped playing the flute, but she landed next to them in the next second. Panic was flooding Alessia's face.

"Lucky this plant thing is here, really," Ron said.

" _Lucky?!_ " Alessia cried in terror. "Look at us!"

The tendrils of the plant began to slither across each of them, binding their limbs. The more they struggled, the tighter the plant got around them. Alessia's eyes were full of terror as the vines wrapped her torso.

"Stop moving," Hermione ordered. "This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax! If you don't, it'll only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?" Ron repeated in distress. "Oh, now I can relax!"

Hermione gave him a sarcastic smile and disappeared from sight.

"Hermione?" Harry and Ron roared in fear.

"I'm fine!" she called from below them. "Just relax!"

Ron was still struggling against the hold; Alessia had stopped moving, but her face was full of alarm. Harry closed his eyes and fell from their view too.

Ron was screaming, "Harry! Harry!" Alessia was silent, but fear practically oozed from her skin, signaling that the plant was tightening more and more around her chest and throat.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare-" Hermione was repeating from what Professor Sprout had told them in class. "It likes the damp and cold…."

"So light a fire!" Ron yelled.

"Yes - of course - but there's no wood," Hermione said from below them.

Alessia regained some of her wit. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?!" she bellowed.

The next second, the rope-like bindings released, slinking away from the flames Hermione cast, leaving a hole where the fire ignited the plant. Ron and Alessia fell several feet, landing next to Harry and Hermione.

"Whew! Lucky we didn't panic," Ron said, gulping and getting to his feet.

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology," Harry corrected.

"You okay?" Hermione whispered to Alessia, helping her up. Pulling her honey blonde hair into a messy bun, Alessia nodded glumly.

"Let's go," Alessia told them, pulling her handkerchief out and pinching her nostrils as a stream of metallic-scented fluid filled them.

When they reached the next door, they heard fluttering - wings? Entering the room, they looked up at the countless glittering birds filling the room. Ron and Hermione spotted the heavy door on the other side and ran to try to unlock it, using the Alohomora Charm.

"I've never seen birds like these," Harry said, still looking up.

Alessia squinted. They were _glittering_. "Professor Flitwick had to have done this one. They aren't for decoration. We have to assume that _everything_ is here for a reason."

"You're right," Hermione said. "These aren't birds. They're _keys_."

Glancing around the room, Harry spotted two broomsticks as the other three stared at the flock. "Alessia," he called to her. "Here!" Harry tossed her one of the broomsticks.

"Great," Alessia said. "Now what? How do we know which one it is?"

Ron dashed back to the door and examined the lock. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."

"I see it!" Harry exclaimed. "The one with the crumpled wing."

He hesitated, looking at his broom. "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione called to him.

"Seems too simple."

Alessia raised an eyebrow at him. "You're the youngest Seeker in a century."

"C'mon," Harry gestured. "I'll need your help."

The second they kicked off from the ground, the birds launched themselves in their directions, half going after Harry and the other half chasing Alessia. Spotting the silver key, Harry streaked after it. Cutting off the part of the flock behind Harry, Alessia dove to the ground, pulling parallel to the floor at the last second, allowing Harry to catch the key and tear towards the door. The others unlocked it and Alessia accelerated at the open passageway from the top of the room, having swerved back upwards to give them more time. Ron and Hermione slammed the door right away and the sound of beaks hit the wood.

As they stepped into the next chamber, dark stone silhouettes littered the floor. "I don't like this," Hermione's voice echoed around the room. "I don't like this at all."

"Where are we?" Alessia's voice trembled.

"A graveyard?" Harry whispered, his voice carrying.

Ron looked around and stepped between two statues. "This is no graveyard," he said. "This is a chessboard."

At his words, fire lit up around the room, bordering the checkered floor. "There's the door," Harry pointed. They strode towards it, but the white pawns took out their swords, blocking their way.

As they backed away, Hermione asked, "Now what do we do?"

"We have to play our way across the board," Ron said. "Now don't be offended," he looked at Harry and Hermione. "But neither of you are that good at chess."

"Why would we be offended?" Harry said. "Just tell us what to do."

"Okay," Ron nodded. "Harry, you take the empty bishop's square. Hermione, you be the queen-side castle. Alessia, take the other one. As for me, I'll be a knight."

After taking their spots, the game commenced. The first real shock was when they lost their other knight. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board. Alessia trembled, locking eyes with Harry, she knew - she knew they were both thinking about what might happen if they lost.

Ron would notice every time when Harry, Hermione, or Alessia were about to be in danger, avoiding their sacrifices, and he darted around the room, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black pieces.

Alessia's eyes examined the board of what was left. She had played many games of Wizard's Chess with Draco as they were growing up, but when their friendship met its bitter end, she had quit. Instead, she watched Atticus and her mother trash talk each other in a friendly manner over many matches.

"Wait," Alessia's voice rang out suddenly. "Weasley - you can't. There has to be another way."

"I have to!" Ron roared in determination. "It's chess - You've got to make sacrifices."

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"Do you want Snape to get the Stone or not?"

Alessia trembled. "Of course not," she said shakily.

"When I make my move, that leaves Harry to checkmate the king."

Ron stepped forward and the white queen stepped forward, striking him with her stone hand. He crumpled to the ground. Hermione screamed, but stayed in her square. Alessia looked at her feet.

"Checkmate," Harry's voice sounded. A rattle on the ground indicated that they had won. Looking up, Alessia spotted the white king's crown at Harry's feet. Sprinting to Ron's side, Harry, Hermione, and Alessia examined him. Remembering what she had seen someone do before, Alessia placed two fingers over a spot on Ron's neck.

"He's alive," she sighed. "I think he'll be all right."

"I'll stay with him," Hermione said.

"We've gotten through the parts Hagrid, Sprout, Flitwick, and McGonagall have done," Alessia said, ticking them off on her shaking fingers. "Just Snape and Quirrell now."

"And Dumbledore," Harry reminded her.

"Right…. Let's go." Alessia grabbed Harry's arm.

Before they reached the door, a blur of bushy hair blocked their way. Hermione pulled them into a tight hug.

" _Hermione!_ " Alessia said.

"You're both great wizards, you know," Hermione told them, her eyes flitting between Harry and Alessia as she stepped back.

"Not as good as you," Harry said, looking embarrassed.

"Me?" Hermione exclaimed. "Books! Cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery."

"Well," Alessia mumbled. "I've been neither a good friend nor brave."

Hermione looked at her with a pained expression. "You have more strength than you realize - you'll see."

She embraced them once more and they ripped their way into a foul smelling room where a troll laid on the floor, out cold.

"Wait," Alessia said, pausing before they reached the next door. "Something's not right."

"What?"

"We thought _Snape_ was the one who let the troll in, right?" Alessia turned back to look at the enormous unconscious creature.

"Right," Harry said, looking at the troll on the ground.

"I don't think it was him."

"You never did."

"True," Alessia said. "But look, troll? Quirrell? This isn't a coincidence."

"Never mind figuring that out now!" Harry shouted impatiently. "We can't waste any more time."

They pushed their way into the next chamber. When Harry and Alessia stepped over the threshold, a fire lit up behind them, blocking the doorway. It was purple; on the other side of the room, black flames shot up, trapping them. A table sat with seven differently shaped bottles and a single roll of parchment.

"Snape's," Harry said. "What do we do?"

Alessia dashed to the table and read the parchment aloud,

" _Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

 _Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

 _One amongst us seven will let you move ahead,_

 _Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

 _Two amongst our number hold only nettle wine,_

 _Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

 _Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

 _To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

 _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

 _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

 _Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

 _But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

 _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

 _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

 _Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

 _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."_

Harry stared at Alessia. "Hermione should have come with you," she told him. "It's all logic. She would have been better at this than me. I'm so sorry, Harry."

"It's too late for that now," the black-haired boy replied, unaware that Alessia hadn't called him 'Potter' for the first time. "Just take your time. Whoever is on the other side of that fire is either stuck there or has to come back anyway."

Alessia nodded, fixing her blonde hair back into a bun - some strands had gotten pulled out during the tasks. She studied the riddle many times.

"Okay, so we know that we don't need these to get through the black fire," Alessia said after a few minutes, pushing the bottles on the end away. She read the parchment again. "These two are nettle wine," Alessia pushed the second and fifth bottles away. One last glance and she said, "That means this one is poison." She pushed the bottle on the left of the fifth bottle away. Alessia paused. "You're going to have to go on by yourself," she said in a defeated tone. "I promised you we wouldn't let you do this by yourself, but apparently you have to."

Harry looked at her regretfully sad expression then back at the bottle that was left.

"There's only enough for one of us," Alessia said, breaking the silence between them. " _I_ can't face him. I could barely make it through all of this," she gestured around them. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's okay, Alessia," he pulled her into a brief embrace. "I couldn't have done this without you. Which one gets you back through the purple fire?"

"The one on the end," Alessia pointed at the round bottle at the right-hand end of the row.

"Drink that and take the brooms back up through the trapdoor and back to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. We need him. There's no way I can defeat whoever's there by myself."

"What if it's You-Know-Who that's there?"

"Well - I was lucky one, wasn't I?" Harry motioning to the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. "Maybe I'll get lucky again."

Together, they drank their respective potions and with one last glance, strode away from the table to opposite ends of the room.

"Just be careful," Alessia's voice carried to Harry.

"Of course."


	21. Chapter 21

The potion made her feel like ice. Alessia stepped through the purple flames, unharmed, and raced back into the room to Ron and Hermione, scrunching her nose at the smell of the troll as she went.

"Hermione!" Alessia called out, tearing back into the room and stopping next to her and Ron, who was still knocked out. "We have to get Dumbledore."

"How?"

The broomsticks that Harry and Alessia had used still lay on the floor by the door leading to the flock of key-birds.

"Those," Alessia pointed at the brooms that were discarded several feet away from them. She looked at Hermione. "Do you know how to fly?"

"I-I'm not like you or Harry, but-"

"Do - you - know - how?" Alessia said slowly, growing impatient.

"Ye-Yes."

"Good. Let's go."

Pulling an unconscious Ronald Weasley onto the broom behind her, she led the way out, flying through the doorways, avoiding the surviving Devil's Snare, and back out the trapdoor, dodging the snapping jaws of Fluffy. Hermione tumbled onto the floor and slammed the door shut in the three-headed dog's face. Alessia landed and Ron slumped off the side of the broom.

"Shite!" Alessia exclaimed. "Harry's Cloak is still inside. We could've used it."

"No need for that," a calm, but familiar voice said quietly from behind her.

"Professor!" Hermione yelped as the Potions Master stepped out of the shadows.

"What do you think you're doing?" Professor Snape asked the girls.

Overcome by relief and gratitude, Alessia lunged forward and hugged him. Taken aback, Professor Snape looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, pushing her away gently.

"Sorry," Alessia mumbled. Her voice shook, but she spoke loud enough for him to hear, "We know it's Quirrell - or at least Harry and I do. Harry's down there with him now. You-Know-Who might be there too. We need your help - we need to find Professor Dumbledore."

"Come with me," Professor Snape commanded, starting to walk away.

"What about Ron, Professor Snape?"

Professor Snape stopped. Turning around, he looked at Hermione with an impassive expression. "Stay with him, Miss Granger," he told her. "We'll return shortly."

The Potions Master swept through the halls with Alessia on his heels. "The headmaster has just returned from London," Professor Snape said. "He'll be in his study."

They reached a gargoyle and the Potions teacher uttered the password before the statue leapt out of the way to let them through. After Professor Snape knocked on the door, a gentle voice let them know to come in.

"Headmaster," Professor Snape said. "I-"

"Yes, Severus," Professor Dumbledore interrupted, peering over half-moon spectacles. "I can see you've brought someone with you."

"Professor," Alessia said, stepping forward. "We need your help."

"What with?" the Hogwarts headmaster asked, scanning Alessia with piercing blue eyes.

The girl was still trembling, her hair in flyaways and random strands pulled loose. "The Philosopher's Stone, sir."

Alessia had expected Professor Dumbledore to look shocked, but he simply rose from his chair and ushered his guests out the door. Trotting behind the men, Alessia followed them back to the third-floor corridor where Hermione sat next to Ron on the floor.

When they arrived, the headmaster turned to Professor Snape, "Take Mr. Weasley back to the Hospital Wing. Miss McKinnon, Miss Granger, you two will go with them and wait for Mr. Potter's and my return."

The walk to the Hospital Wing felt like several miles. Ron was unconscious in Professor Snape's arms and his head lay limp, blood mixing with his red hair. Madam Pomfrey tended to him wordlessly when they arrived. When Professor Snape departed, likely to go assist Dumbledore, Hermione and Alessia sat on adjacent beds, facing each other.

"How do you know it was Quirrell?" Hermione asked, barely loud enough for Alessia to hear.

"There was a troll in the next room. You all assumed Professor Snape had been the one to let the troll in at Halloween, but _Quirrell_ was the one who rushed in to inform us all. The troll was Quirrell's part in the protection. I reckon it wasn't a coincidence."

It seemed like hours before Professor Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing with Harry. The girls sat in silence as Madam Pomfrey examined him.

Over the next three days, word spread that Harry Potter and his friends were responsible for the avoidance of another uprising by the Dark Lord. The rumors were ridiculous. Something about Ron wrestling a troll reached the group's ears. ("I wish," Ron had said, laughing.) Before they were set to try to visit Harry in the hospital, Hermione pulled Alessia aside.

"I realized something," she told Alessia, who had her left arm in a sling.

"What?"

"You said all our first names that night."

Alessia's cheeks turned pink. "I know, Hermione."

With wide grins, they snatched Ron away from Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil and pulled him out of the Gryffindor common room, making their way to see Harry.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey?" they begged the nurse.

"No!"

"Just five minutes," Harry's voice echoed from behind her.

Madam Pomfrey turned her head towards him. "Absolutely not. You need rest."

"But you let in Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, but the headmaster is a very different case…. You need _rest_!"

"I am resting," Harry said. The other three were fidgeting outside the door. "Look! I'm lying down and everything."

Madam Pomfrey let them in. "Five minutes _only_."

" _Harry!_ " Hermione launched herself towards him, but stopped when she reached his bedside. "Oh, Harry, we were so worried. Alessia thought she was too late. We ran into Professor Snape - he brought Alessia to see Dumbledore. She was right, wasn't she? It was Quirrell?"

"Yes, but-" Harry began.

"The whole school's talking," Ron cut him off. "I heard some stupid story about how I wrestled a troll and another about how Alessia had to walk through fire-"

"Well, that part's true," Alessia said. "Although, I had help from Professor Snape. Right, Harry?"

He nodded. Ron continued, rolling his eyes, "Whatever. Point is, the stories are mad. What _really_ happened?"

Harry told them about how he had faced Professor Quirrell and learned that he was responsible for the troll on Halloween. He told them about how Professor Snape had tried to save him when his broom was trying to buck him off. He told them about Quirrell trying to get the Stone. He told them about what happened when Quirrell took off his turban and Hermione shouted in shock, right into Alessia's ear.

"Blimey, Hermione," Alessia groaned. "Harry - what happened to the Stone?"

"It's gone - destroyed. Dumbledore told me."

Ron and Hermione gaped. Alessia sighed. "So Flamel," Ron said finally. "He's just going to _die_?"

"Professor Dumbledore put it nicely - what was it? 'To the well-organized mind, death is but the greatest adventure' or something."

"I always said he was off his rocker," Ron said of his hero, impressed by how crazy the man was.

"Ron!" Alessia scolded, but her chiding went unacknowledged.

Harry examined his friends. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to have changed his mind about what. "What happened after you left, Alessia?"

Alessia told him. "When I told Dumbledore, he didn't even ask me how we knew about it, he just led me and Professor Snape back," she finished. "And, well, you know the rest."

"Do you think he meant for you to do it?" Ron asked. "Sending you your father's Cloak and everything?"

" _Well_ ," Hermione exploded. "If he had, that would mean - he must've - that's _terrible_. I mean, you could have gotten killed."

"No, it isn't," Harry said thoughtfully. "I think he knows everything that happens around here. He's a funny man, Dumbledore. Maybe he wanted to give me a chance - I don't know. Instead of stopping us, he made sure we knew everything we needed to to help us. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort…."

The others shuddered at the mention of the Dark Lord. "Why do you insist on saying his name?" Alessia asked.

Harry considered her for a second, tilting his head. "Dumbledore says to always use the proper name for things. 'Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself'."

"Yeah," Ron said with a proud smile. "He's off his rocker."

Harry continued, "Voldemort killed my parents - I don't want to be more afraid of someone who tried to kill me." Alessia narrowed her eyes, furrowing her brow, deep in thought; she sat on the foot of Harry's bed.

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry nodded his head at Alessia, who had revealed her injury to him for the first time when she had rested herself near Harry's feet. She had been hiding it behind Hermione while they spoke.

"One of the Ravenclaw Beaters knocked me off my broom," Alessia told him. "I was out next to you for about a day, actually. I'm just glad Wood didn't blame me for the loss. I thought he was going to kill me when the team came to visit, but they just wanted to make sure I was okay. Worst loss we've had in three hundred years. But hey, you'll be back as Seeker next year and I'll be a Chaser like I'm supposed to be."

"So you're going to play?"

"Of course!"

"You have to come to the end-of-the-year feast, Harry," Hermione said, changing the subject before the other three started to banter about Quidditch.

"Slytherin won," Alessia rolled her eyes, showing some irritation. Trying to sound more optimistic, she said, "But you know, end of the year! You have to come!" She was bouncing on the end of the bed, clutching his hand, grinning genuinely.

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes! Now, OUT!" she demanded firmly.

"Another year gone!" Professor Dumbledore's speech began. The Great Hall was covered in emerald green and silver to commemorate Slytherin's win of the House Cup. Harry and Ron sat together; from her seat next to Hermione and across from Harry, Alessia watched Professor Snape's eyes glinting with pride. Her focus darted to Draco Malfoy, who had avoided her since their detention. He locked onto her gaze and Alessia saw him purse his lips before breaking the connection.

"Now as I understand it," Professor Dumbledore was saying. "The House Cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus: In fourth, Gryffindor with two hundred and sixty-two points."

There was a scattered applause and lots of grumbling from the Gryffindors.

"Bloody hell," Alessia muttered, noticing Professor McGonagall's disappointed expression.

"In third, Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two," the headmaster continued. The Hufflepuffs clapped a little.

"In second, Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty-six points." The Ravenclaws whooped and cheered.

"And in first place, with four hundred and seventy-two points, Slytherin."

The Slytherins banged on the table, excitement storming the Great Hall from their side. Draco was grinning widely, eyes gloating as he looked at Alessia. He twitched his eyebrows at her to worsen the deal. "Ugh," she exclaimed. "He makes me sick."

"Who?" Hermione whispered.

"Malfoy."

Just as the cheers died down, Professor Dumbledore continued, "Yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, some recent events must be taken into account."

Alessia saw Malfoy's smile fade slightly and she snorted quietly. Professor Snape looked both shocked and irritated as he glanced at Professor Dumbledore. The room was still.

"I have a few last-minute points to award," the headmaster announced. "First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best-played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years - fifty points."

Ron's face turned purple. The Gryffindors applauded happily and Percy was heard shouting to the other prefects, "My youngest brother! He beat McGonagall's chess set! That's my brother!"

Professor Dumbledore continued, "To Miss Hermione Granger, for her cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril."

The Gryffindors whooped and clapped again. Alessia hugged her. "I never did thank you!" Hermione had her face in her hands, hiding tears of joy.

The Great Hall quieted when Professor Dumbledore spoke again, "To Miss Alessia McKinnon, for her resourcefulness and indefinite loyalty even in the most fearful of times - fifty points."

Gryffindor's screams drowned the thoughts that Alessia could have had. All she managed was a small, embarrassed grin before catching George's eye. He gave her thumbs up and her smile widened, looking more genuine.

"To Mr. Harry Potter," Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed across the Great Hall. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."

Chills ran down Alessia's spine; the shouts were deafening. People who did the math were yelling to others: Gryffindor was tied with Slytherin at four hundred and seventy-two points.

Silence rippled across the dining hall as Dumbledore raised his hand. "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points… to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Alessia looked at him - he was seated next to her. "I told him what you did," she said, bumping him playfully. Neville was white with shock and Alessia moved out of the way just in time to avoid having her injured arm crushed by the crowd of students lunging in to embrace the boy who had allowed Gryffindor to win the House Cup.

The Great Hall was loud as ever. "Which means," Dumbledore's voice carried over the rumbling of applause and cheering. "Assuming that my calculations are correct, a change of decoration is in order."

The headmaster clapped his hands and green and silver turned crimson and gold. The Gryffindor lion replaced the Slytherin serpent. Alessia watched Professor Snape shake Professor McGonagall's hand with a horrified, forced smile on his face. Harry was nudging Ron and pointing at Malfoy who looked as if he was about to burst into tears. "Nothing could ruin this day," Alessia thought.


	22. Chapter 22

When they received their grades, Alessia hoped that her mother might forgive her for all the trouble she had gotten into that year because she had gotten more than decent marks in all her classes.

"Oof!" Alessia said, looking at her results. "You'd think that I'd be able to think better under pressure since I got better marks on the practical portions of the exams than the written bit."

Hermione was top of the class for their averages, Alessia second, and Draco Malfoy third, which disappointed many of the Ravenclaws as they were all in spots after them. Neville had beat out Alessia for the second position in Herbology, which made up for his awful marks in Potions. Ron had hoped that Goyle, who was dim as the night, would have failed, but even he scraped by enough to pass.

"I guess you can't have everything in life," Ron was saying about it as they made their way back to the Hogwarts Express.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione chatted happily on the train. Nikos had joined their compartment and sat in the corner next to his sister who was rereading _Sense and Sensibility_.

"Are you only starting to read it now?" Alessia's plump brother asked her.

"Hmm? What? No. I'm rereading it."

"What do you think?"

"I think that you think you're clever for giving me this, you cheeky prat," Alessia grinned at Nikos, poking him in his side and he squirmed from the tickling, fighting a smile of his own.

"Merlin," a familiar voice said from the compartment doorway. "Such a little sister thing to do."

Alessia looked up to see Fred smirking in amusement, George peeking around his twin at them.

"Hey, Fred. Hey, George," Ron said.

The twins plopped down next to Alessia, across from their younger brother. During the train ride, Alessia, Fred, and George cracked jokes and laughed when Ron was often the subject. Late in their travels, the youngest Weasley brother had been eating a chocolate frog and had a bit of at the corner of his mouth.

"Ickle Ronniekins has a bit of chocolate on his face," Fred chided playfully. "If only Mummy were here!"

"Oh," George exclaimed, whipping out a handkerchief and licking it. "I've got it for little Ronnie." He lunged, reaching out to wipe the chocolate off his brother's face.

Ron threw his hands in front of his head, remnants of the treat still in hand, trying to push George off of him. Hermione giggled, Harry grinned widely, and Nikos simply shook his head before continuing to read. When Ron successfully pushed his brother off of him, George backed up to return to his seat, chortling, when Alessia stuck her foot out and tripped him. Instead of landing on the compartment bench, he fell onto the floor, causing everyone to roar with laughter. Smirking at him, Alessia offered him her hand.

"Isn't that your injured arm?" Ron asked as George was about to use it for more leverage - he'd pulled himself to his knees.

"True," Alessia said dryly, snatching her arm back and letting George fall again.

Fred laughed as George found his feet.

In what seemed like no time, they had raced past several Muggle towns, changed into jackets and coats, and then were lining up to pass through the ticket barrier.

"You have to come and stay at my house this summer," Ron said while they waited. "All of you."

"Even me?" Alessia asked, looking rather shocked. "We haven't exactly been kind to each other."

"Yes, you, too. Fred and George would take the mickey out of me if I didn't invite you - I'll send an owl."

Many people shouted farewells to Harry once they went through the barrier.

"Still famous, eh?" Alessia said.

"See you, McKinnon!" a few voices called.

"I suppose you are too," Hermione quipped as a couple of Ravenclaws bid her an enjoyable summer.

"Ha!" Alessia exclaimed. "Seems we all are." She watched Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown wave to Ron.

"Not where I'm going," Harry said. "I promise you."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Alessia shared a long group embrace before the blonde-haired girl spotted her mother. All the joy and relief she had felt on the train left her.

Persephone McKinnon stood at the next column - her arms were crossed and her face hard with gravitas. Nikos was approaching her, but Alessia knew that their mother was in no good mood. Had the news not reached her? Alessia's mother gestured to join her - now.

Pulling herself out of her friends' grips, she looked at them all. "I'll see you all soon," she said. "Have a good summer. I'll write to-"

A tight hand held her by her left arm. "Mum!" Alessia yelped. "You're hurting me."

Persephone dragged Alessia from her friends. With one last, desperate glance, she watched Harry speak to a red-headed woman Alessia could only assume was Mrs. Weasley. Her view was blocked by a large, dumpy figure with blond hair.

"C'mon," Persephone told her gruffly while pushing her trolley, still gripping her previously injured arm, which was still sore. Nikos watched with worried eyes as they reached him.

The McKinnons always preferred to fit in with the Muggles, so their car was parked in the lot of King's Cross.

"Mum-" Alessia said once they were on their drive home.

"Shut up!"

Nikos offered a shrug to his sister whose eyes were filled with worry. They were nearly home after hours of driving when Persephone finally spoke.

"How _dare_ you ignore my letters?" she said, scowling at Alessia in the rear-view mirror. "I am furious with your behavior this year."

"Mum, she helped win the House Cup!" Nikos defended.

Their mother ignored him, stilling glaring at Alessia with steely eyes. "You put not only your life in danger, but others' as well. You will not be leaving the house alone this summer. You are to ask permission to leave the house - even if it is on our property. Might teach you how to follow some rules."

Silence flooded the McKinnon family car; Alessia sat, with misty eyes, wondering why she'd get punished for helping others - for helping her friends. Looking at her hands, Alessia almost regretted everything she had done. Her arm was sore where she had both broken it and had it healed, then hurt by her mother's grip.

The constant letters from Persephone had only added more pressure to Alessia's life. It was easier for her to ignore the letters. The most difficult of which came during Easter; the note had contained troubling news. Begging her grandfather to have her mother stop hounding her about school, Alessia had felt relief when no more letters came.

Except there was a last one. In rushed handwriting, her mother expressed how deeply disappointed she was in Alessia. Her mother was more angry than she'd ever been. Alessia was lucky that her mother wasn't pulling her out of school to be taught at home, she'd read. Many of Alessia's tears had littered the parchment before she had shoved it in her bag. She hadn't been able to bring herself to write anything back.

It wasn't just the many challenges Alessia faced at school - the bullying and loneliness had been enough punishment. It was the prospect of addressing her mother's shaming words that was most difficult.

They were in the driveway, parked outside of the house when Alessia could finally bring herself to look up. The house was just like it had always been. Willow trees bordered the gravel driveway and the lawn was neatly kept with a few rose bushes near the windows of the home. Tall alder trees lined the property at the back where Alessia would often fly her broom.

"Get the mail," Persephone barked. The Muggle mail was for their bills and whatever Muggle magazines the McKinnon matriarch subscribed to.

Alessia complied, walking down to the sidewalk where their mailbox stood. As she reached it, a car drove by. It was familiar. Her neighbor's car. It pulled into the driveway two houses down and a pale woman with light brown hair stepped out. Alessia was holding the mail, watching as a teenaged girl with platinum locks got out of the car. Dropping the envelopes on the ground, she watched a dark-haired boy get helped into a wheelchair - his face was purple and bloody.

"Hayes?" Alessia said, running towards the family, her hair bouncing behind her. "Hayes!"

The woman and teenage girl looked up at her as she ran towards them.

"Hayes - I'm so sorry." Tears were welling up in Alessia's worried eyes.

The battered boy called Hayes smiled at her and Alessia noticed his lip was bruised. "I wish I'd gone to Hogwarts instead," he said, pointing at his face.

"Aunt Kajsa," Alessia said, looking at the woman with pin-straight brown hair. "I thought he'd be okay by now - it was Easter when -" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Sigvalde was attacked again on the train home, I'm afraid," Kajsa said, her Swedish accent heavy still, even after all these years away from her homeland.

"Ugh," Hayes groaned, rolling his blue-grey eyes. "No one calls me that, Aunt Kajsa." Hearing her best friend in the world complain about his name like he always did let a wave a relief wash over Alessia. She smiled, forgetting her worries.

"Who would?" the blonde teenager laughed, pinching her younger brother's cheek lightly, avoiding a blue mark. "With a name like _Sigvalde_."

"Shut up, Lussa."

"Your mother looks pissed," Lussa said, peering around Alessia.

"She is," Alessia said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Hayes laughed, wincing a little when he did. "What did you _do_?"

Alessia opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted. "Alessia Serafina McKinnon!" Persephone had never sounded more vexed, which made Alessia cringe.

"Ouch," Hayes said. "Full name."

"Shut up, _Sigvalde_ Hayes Ahlgren," Alessia quipped. "I guess if she ever lets me out of the house, I'll see you later."

"Alessia!" Persephone shouted angrily. "Now!"

"Don't get your wand in a knot." She turned around steadily "I'm making sure someone I love and care about won't die from his injuries!"

Alessia strode back to her house as calmly and slowly as she could. The only satisfaction she could get was watching the rage her mother showed heighten as the seconds passed.

Glancing back at the person she had seen in the Mirror of Erised many months ago, she winked. He was much more bloody and bruised than she'd ever seen him, but seeing Hayes was truly something she'd longed for since her departure to Hogwarts without him. She had just returned home, but Alessia knew that this summer was going to be frightful.

* * *

A/N: That concludes Book 1, guys! Please review.

As of July 26th, I have most of Book 2 written and I will post chapters similarly to how I posted this one (twice a week) as soon as I finish. I've hit a bit of a block in the last few chapters, so it may take longer to post than I planned. However, I do have a few spin-off one-shots planned (Nikos and Persephone, mostly) and I will post those between now and when I finish Book 2. I hope you liked this installment of my series! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all have to say about it. The next book should be up soon!


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